Chapter 9: Under New Management
by jjbenzix7
Summary: The return of Elias. Buried secrets. Paris France, and the Investigation, all play key roles in Chapter 9: Under New Management. "Only in fairy tales do couples seem to live perfect lives together. Sometime fairy tales just don't come true. But with John and Joss, this kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime."
1. Episode 1: The Call

**Important Message:** As suggested by a _guest... _I should have mentioned "**rape**" in the summary. So be warned - **Chapter 9** includes talk and evidence that **rape** occurred. Forget the explicit hot sex scenes that I've written throughout this story. There is talk of **rape** in this Chapter. So please be warned... Sorry if I've offended anyone. Just a warning. **For Mature Adults ONLY!**

**A/N:** Sorry it took so long for me to write this chapter. For readers who are enjoying the story, this chapter has been very hard to write. I've edited so much, trying to keep the characters in a happy place so as not to offend readers who never want to see anything bad happen between the characters. But I'm trying to tell a story that mixes fun with the reality of life's ups and downs that can enter our life hwen we least expect. So please hang in there with me as these two characters in this story tread through a few bad moments in their relationship. Just trying to show that life can sometime take some nasty twists and turns.

I can certainly appreciate why the writers of the TV Series haven't written a love story for Carter and Reese... Manuevering around the complexities of their friendship and trust bond can be tricky and complicated. At some point you almost feel guilty for even trying to write their characters as a couple in love. But thanks to everyone who find this fanfic story to be somewhat of a good read. If it wasn't for a few unplanned twists and turns... keeping these two characters happy, in love, and in bed 24/7...would become boring as hell.

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**Chapter 9: Under New Management**

**Synopsis: **

While John Reese and Agent Shaw are in Paris working on a person of interest case, Joss receives a call that will turn her happy life upside down. Chapter nine revisits drama and suspense as things heat up with old foes, buried secrets, and investigations. Some will die while others suffer lifetime scars, connected from New York to Paris.

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**Excerpt:** _"She immediately recognized the caller's voice. Joss dropped the cup of coffee. Her eyes stretched wide as she slowly turned in a circular motion, scanning the kitchen and living room areas."_

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**Episode 1: The Call**

It was the beginning of the second week of December, and John was in Paris working on a person of interest case with Agent Shaw. Joss was glad that Taylor was home for the holidays. He'd really been a big help around the house and wouldn't let her do much of anything. Occasionally she would assist Finch and Fusco from within the computer lab, helping to track persons of interests. It was much easier for her to work with Detective Fusco than it was for Finch to have to maneuver around law enforcement to get the information he needed, especially with the investigation about to start.

Although it was nice working from home, Joss was really growing tired of being in hiding. She missed the thrill of hands on police work and needling Detective Fusco. But… at least this way she could still feel involved in work that she was passionate about. Detective Fusco kept them abreast of the threats he'd been privy to hearing in and around the Precinct and HR departments. These threats were geared directly toward Detective Carter. By now, most of HR's dirty cops knew that she was behind the investigation.

Every day was a battle of wits for Fusco, because they were demanding that he tell them where she was hiding. He'd been threatened so much, he sent his son to live with his ex-wife to keep him out of harm's way. A few Captains and other top officials had already been suspended, pending a full investigation into findings of money laundering, illegal drug busts, tampering with crime scenes, police brutality, and in some cases, reports of murder.

After being home for almost two weeks, Taylor was getting curious and had a lot of questions to ask. He wanted to know why so much secrecy and protection was needed in his mom's life right now. He often noticed his mother and John when they would key in codes to enter and exit the bunker. He'd seen John race down to the computer lab when he would receive a call. Sometimes they'd look at each other and she'd follow him, whispering back and forth. Their actions were speaking louder than words, and Taylor felt that he had a right to know what was going on.

He'd expressed his concerns to his mother on several occasions when they were alone, but she would always skirt the issue or talk about something else. Joss knew that she wouldn't be able to keep her son shielded from the truth much longer. He was now eighteen and a very intelligent young man. Knowing that he'd only be worried when he return to the Academy, she felt that he was mature enough to handle certain elements of the truth.

Tuesday, December tenth was another brutally cold day. Taylor and his mom were alone in the bunker, with the exception of Bear. Although the weather was not so inviting, the day was absolutely perfect for what she'd planned. Joss baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies, not because she wanted to stroll down memory lane with her son to the days when she baked cookies for him, but Joss had a craving for the darn things that she could not shake.

Late that evening the two of them, along with Bear, staked out refuge in the library from the coldness of the bunker. The library always seemed warm and cozy, especially with the fireplace lit and glowing throughout the room. Now she understood why it had become John's favorite hideout. In between nibbling on cookies and sipping mugs of mint flavored hot chocolate, yet another craving she had to satisfy, Joss told her son as much as she could about the events that unfolded in the cabin that fateful night between her and Elias.

She didn't deem it necessary to tell him about what she'd convinced herself to be _attempted rape_. As far as she was concerned it never happened, even though her nightmares were painting another picture, one that she dared not share with anyone, not even John. Joss felt that she'd gotten the best of Elias that night and that was all that mattered.

She told her son about her need to expose the corruption going on within the Precinct and HR departments. Both branches were fielding dirty cops by the dozen, and she was going to do whatever she could do within her power to bring them down. Taylor was well aware of the infestation of crooked cops. Him and his friends had encountered a few pat downs while hanging out at the mall and other locations during their senior year of school. Many of the cops would recognize him and let them off with a stern warning, but that didn't lessen the humiliation they felt afterwards.

He didn't think that it was necessary to tell his mother about the incidents back then, but now that he'd mentioned them to her, it didn't make Joss any less pissed at what they'd done to her son and his friends for no reason. She wanted him to always be vigilant. After her husband died, she'd always been overly protective of those she love. Her mother warned her that the need to be too protective could sometime end up causing more harm than good. Advising her never to use the need to protect as an excuse to lie.

Taylor got up early Wednesday morning, December eleventh. He'd made plans to stay with his grandmother until Sunday. He had grown fond of the surroundings and friends he made there. Joss knew that Taylor would be leaving for the Academy after Christmas, and selfishly wanted to spend every single day with him at the bunker. A few days ago, with her approval, Finch presented Taylor with the Christmas gift the three of them had purchased for him, a Jeep Wrangler Sport.

After he left around ten that morning, Joss went down to the lab and worked on a few numbers with Finch and Detective Fusco, who'd taken on the bulk of the footwork, helping Finch while John was away. Joss laid down around five that evening to take a nap, with Bear lying at the foot of the bed in his usual spot. Awaken by the recurring nightmare she'd been having lately, Joss sat up on the side of the bed. She cupped her hands over her face and tried to make sense of the dream. Images of being raped by Elias, and the sound of a gun being fired had been haunting her dreams for weeks and she didn't understand why.

Joss released her hair from the tight annoying ponytail, and shook it loose. Now with it growing inches longer and thicker, she looked at Bear, who by then had raised his head and was curiously looking up at her.

_"What do you think Bear, think I should cut it all off?"_

As if he knew exactly what she was saying and thinking, he lowered his head and placed a paw over his eye. She laughed, leaned forward and rubbed her nose against his.

_"Come on boy"_, she said, patting his back as he leaped from the bed. _"If we don't stop sleeping, we're gonna' sleep our lives away." _

Bear raced down the stairs ahead of her, wagging his tail and panting. _"Hungry?"_ she asked as she filled his pet bowl with dog chow and water bowl with fresh clean water. He tore into the chow and water, crunching and lapping as if it was going to be his last meal. Joss looked over her shoulder at him in amazement. _He sounded a lot like Carolyn and Fusco during Thanksgiving dinner_, she thought, giggling from the visual image she'd just had of the two of them seemingly in an eating contest that night.

Joss started a pot of coffee, walked into the huge empty living room and turned on the TV. It was almost seven o'clock, _something good had to be on_, but nothing she'd want to watch. After not being able to find anything good to watch, she opted to listen to a little classical music instead. While listening to the beautiful music, her mind drifted to John. He hadn't called her in almost three days, and she was beginning to worry.

But knowing John, she knew that whatever Finch had him and Agent Shaw doing, they'd both be all right. Joss walked back into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a few sips and was about to walk into the living room when her phone rang.

_"Dammit…it never fails. Just one thought of John and he calls"_, she said out loud to Bear, and he appeared to bark in response.

Holding the cup of coffee in one hand, and a magazine under her arm, Joss reached into the pocket of the robe she was wearing and pulled out her phone. She was definitely going to give John a piece of her mind for waiting so long to call her.

_"Okay John…dazzle me. Three days and you…"_

_"Hello Detective", _the voice on the other end of the phone said, interrupting her before she could finish.

_"Who in the hell is this?" _she asked.

_"I'm disappointed in you Detective...forgotten me already? Tell me…how are the babies…the twins we created together that night?"_

Joss recognized the voice. No one had a voice like Carl Elias. She'd spent several days at the cabin with him, and had grown accustom to the irritating, subdued laziness of his voice. She dropped the cup of coffee and watched as it made its way to the floor, smattering into tiny pieces. The magazine under her arm slid down and landed into the puddle of coffee. As if everything was happening in slow motion, the sounds magnified twice the norm

Joss gripped the phone tighter. She turned around in a circular motion, scanning the kitchen and living room areas. She pressed the end call button and threw the phone onto the countertop. Suddenly, she felt an eerie coldness rush her body. _This can't be happening_, she thought as she raced into the living room and pulled the drapes. Bear seemed to have sensed the fear she was feeling. He trotted close beside her.

Joss walked quickly back into the kitchen. Visibly shaken, she grabbed a roll of toweling and began blotting up the spilled coffee and broken glass. She picked up the coffee-soaked magazine and threw it into the trashcan. Her hands trembled as she picked up pieces of the broken glass.

She hadn't felt this nervous since that night when she shot Elias. While cleaning up the spilled coffee, her phone rang again. _It had to be him calling back, _she thought as she gripped a piece of the glass, nicking her finger. _"Ouch! Dammit!"_ she uttered, sucking the blood from the wound.

Joss stared at the phone on the counter. So many questions were running through her mind as she patted Bear on his back and kept him close by. She felt safe with him there, and knew that he would spring into action to protect her. She wondered how Elias managed to get her new number. She wondered where he could be calling from, and most of all, how did he know that she was pregnant, and then to know that she was pregnant with twins.

After cleaning up the coffee and glass from the floor, Joss walked into the living room and stood near the side of one of the windows, and peeped out of the closed drapes. Her phone had stopped ringing, but just as she was about to reach for it, her phone rang again.

She looked down at Bear. Instead of fear overcrowding her thoughts, this time it made her angry. There was no way in hell she was going to let Elias do this to her. She picked up the phone and pressed the talk button.

_"Hello…!"_ she shouted angrily.

_"It's not over between us Detective. We need to finish what we started. Remember what I did to you before you shot me? Remember how good it felt? You wanted it. You wanted me to do you that night, and now we have something that will bind us together forever Detective…our babies."_

_"You listen to me you crazy, sick bastard! If you come near me, my babies, or any of my family…I will kill you! Do you understand Elias?! I will kill you!"_ she shouted.

A few seconds of silence lingered in the air. He seemed to enjoy the anger she'd released upon him. Elias let out a chilling laugh, similar to the way he'd laughed that night at the cabin after she cuffed him to the bed. Joss ended the call and walked upstairs to the bedroom with Bear in front of her.

The gun John had given her was still in the drawer of the nightstand. She slowly sat down on the side of the bed, running her hands through her hair and clutching her head. Joss looked down at her phone and tapped Finch number, hoping he'd answer.

_"Hello Joss, is everything all right?"_

_"He called…" _

She could only spit out two words from her mouth.

_"John? Of course he'd call you…"_

_"No!...Harold…it wasn't John. Elias!...he called...twice!"_

Finch dropped the book he had in his hands. He looked pale and frightened from hearing Elias name again. He thought of the secret he'd helped to bury a week after that night at the cabin. Finch knew that this was not going to end well.

_"Joss, where are you now?"_

_"The bedroom. I'm in the bedroom. Listen to me Harold, you don't understand…he asked about the babies, the twins. He said that they belonged to him, and that he'd find me. God, Harold…I thought he'd been committed to the mental ward of the hospital. I thought he was under tight security and we'd never have to hear from him again, at least not until the trial. Harold…"_

_"Joss…please… calm down. Stay where you are. I'm coming. Listen to me. There is an electronic pad in the computer lab. I don't know if John told you about it, but it operates by code. Once you enter the numbers, it will activate an alarm system on the gates and the sensor controlled cameras placed around the outside of the cabin. If the doors are locked and the alarm to the bunker is on, you have nothing to worry about. Listen to me Joss. I need for you to go down to the lab. The pad is located on the wall next to the exit door. Hurry."_

Joss and Bear headed down to the lab. She remained on the phone with Finch, trying to stay calm but knowing that something she thought she'd buried, to keep others from living through the nightmare, was about to resurface.

_"How did he know about the twins Harold?"_ she asked as she waited for the elevator doors to open.

_"Question is…how did he escape? Joss, I hate to say this to you now, but this is why Detective Fusco thought it would be better for all around if you had told John the truth about everything that happened that night. I know you thought that you were protecting those you love, but this was not the way to do it."_

She got off the elevator and ran into the computer lab, with Bear underfoot.

_"Ok. I'm here… in the lab."_

_"Good. Now…look on the wall next to the exit door. Slide the glass case back." _

_"I see it. Ok. What's the code?"_

Finch called out the numbers slowly as Joss pressed the buttons. Once the numbers had been entered, the security alarm on the gate was set, and the sensor lights lit up the outside of the bunker.

_"Now…go over to the computer and power it up."_

Joss ran over and pressed the power button.

_"Ok, it's on Harold, now what?"_

_"Do you see the green button in the center of the keypad?"_

_"Yes, I see it. Do you want me to press that button?"_

_"Yes…please. Now, what do you see on the three screens hovering above your head?"_

Joss looked up at the computer screens. She could see the entire exterior of the grounds surrounding the bunker, from different angles.

_"I can see the outside area Harold."_

_"Good. Keep all of the equipment running. Once I arrive I will deactivate the gates, but the sensor lights and video cameras will remain on. I'll be there soon Joss. Keep Bear close by."_

She sat in front of the computer and watched the monitors. Joss glanced up at the clock on the wall, it was only nine-thirty. Twenty minutes later, while her and Bear paced back and forth in the lab, her phone rang again. She picked it up and looked at the name of the caller.

_"Harold!...Thank God it's you!"_

_"Has Elias called back?"_

_"No. And you know what…? There is no way in hell I'm gonna' let that bastard intimidate me like this! No way in hell Harold!" _

_"Just stay in the lab Joss. I'm only an hour and a half away from the bunker. Until we can figure out where he's calling from, stay put. I should be there before eleven at the latest. Just stay put."_

_"I'm not afraid of him! He's not going to have me living in fear. I have a chance at a new life with John, the babies and Taylor. I will not let Elias ruin things for me and my family." _

_"I'm glad to hear you say that Joss, but…I've got to ask…are you prepared to tell John the truth?"_

_"No!...Dammit Harold! It's over. What's done is done! I survived and that's all that matters. It's better this way."_

_"Better for who? Is it better for John?... Taylor? Or does it make it easier for you? What you asked me and Detective Fusco to do, was to lie for you. Why? Why did you choose me and the Detective?"_

_"Don't you care about John's feelings Harold? What about Taylor? Huh?... What about my son Harold? We live in the age of technology now where a video can go viral in five seconds. How do you think he'd feel if a video of the rape of Detective Jocelyn Carter flashed across millions of computer and TV screens? No… No…I still think that what I did was best for everyone. I told John that he tried to rape me. Not because I wanted to lie to him. I lied to him to protect him. Don't you understand that? He never asked for anything more. So it's best this way."_

_"I'm sorry Joss, but I don't agree. I lied for you once before and it almost cost me my friendship and partnership with John. He and I work closely together, and I cannot keep doing this to him. If he asks, I am prepared to tell him the truth. You say that you were pregnant before the attack occurred, so why not be truthful with John. You need to tell him everything before he finds out. Do you know what that'll do to him?"_

Finch knew that he'd struck a nerve when she abruptly ended the call. But he also knew that what they'd done was only going to make things worse. After they ended the call, Finch replayed everything in his mind that Joss said to him a week after her encounter at the cabin with Elias.

She tried to deny the rape by convincing herself that she shot him while he was trying to rape her. Finch knew then that somehow she'd managed to separate the two versions of what really happened that night.

Joss left the computer lab and headed back upstairs to the kitchen. Bear never left her side. She poured herself another cup of coffee and walked into the living room. Still a little shaken, she tried to grab as much normalcy as possible. But no matter how she tried to erase the memory of what really happened to her, hearing Elias voice made her revisit that night. Joss fought the truth in her mind. She didn't want to accept it.

Nor would she…

Staring at the TV screen with a blank look on her face, all she could see was images of Elias face staring down at her and smiling. She could hear his moans. Joss put her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the sounds in her head.

The visions continued…

She saw herself struggling to reach for the gun, trying to push him off of her. The look on his face when she kneed him, and how he screamed in agony. The sound of the gun being fired when she shot him twice. The truth was staring back at her and she was replaying every minute of it in her head.

Her stomach was tied in knots. She felt nauseated. Joss quickly ran to the bathroom down the hall across from the library, and emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Weakened by her thoughts, she could only make it into the library before collapsing on the couch. Lying motionless on her back, tears streamed down the sides of her face.

Finch arrived a few minutes before eleven. He entered the bunker through the garage calling out her name. When Bear heard his voice he leaped from the couch and ran up to him, licking his hand as Finch patted the top of his head. The two walked into the library.

_"Are you all right Joss? _he asked as he scurried over to her._ Did he call back?" _

_"I'm fine Harold. No…he hasn't called back", _she said, slowly sitting upward on the couch._ "I've made one hell of a mess of things. I was only thinking of John, Taylor, my family…I thought that I could protect them…I…"_

_"I know dear…but you can't protect the people you love by covering up something terrible with a lie. Being a cop, you had to know that regardless of how well you tried to clean up some of the evidence, extensive DNA tests would reveal what really happened."_

He looked down at her phone on the coffee table. _"May I…?" _he asked.

Finch sat down on the sofa next to Joss and tapped a few buttons. He knew that she was not going to like what he had to tell her. Soon after she'd called him at the Library, he was able to access information about Elias and his last known whereabouts.

From the information he'd retrieved, he discovered that Elias paid two guards and the Psychiatrist a handsome amount of money to let him walk out of the hospital to freedom. His medical records had been falsified by the Psychiatrist, which enabled him to travel abroad.

Finch also discovered that he'd touched down in Switzerland several weeks ago after his name popped up when he transferred millions of dollars to a Swiss bank account. There was strong indication that Elias was on the move, not staying in one place for too long. While Finch was telling Joss about what he'd discovered, her phone rang again. Both looked at each other. They knew it was Elias. Joss glanced down at the phone.

_"It's him"_ she said, holding the phone up to Finch.

_"I've got an idea. Give me a few seconds."_

Finch removed his phone from his pocket, inserted a small device and typed in a code.

_"Answer it Joss, but let him do the talking. I want you to say as little as possible." _

She nodded her head and pressed the talk button.

_"Hello…"_

_"Detective. I was beginning to think you didn't want to talk to me."_

Finch nodded for her to respond again.

_"I'm here Elias. What do you want from me?"_

_"I told you already Detective…I want to be a part of the twins lives. They belong to me. You belong to me!"_ he shouted. _"And you can tell your precious John Reese that he will not win this time!"_

Joss looked over at Finch. He waved his hand indicating for her to respond.

_"Why are you doing this Elias? You know you're not the father!" _

_"Liar!"_ he shouted angrily before ending the call.

Finch was staring at the phone in his hand. He looked shocked and a little confused.

_"What is it Harold? You got something? Do you know where he is?" _Joss asked.

_"I'm afraid so."_ Fear was in his eyes when he glanced in her direction. _"Elias is not in Switzerland…It's coming from France…He's in Paris France."_

They both yelled at the same time, _"John!"_

Finch started walking quickly toward the elevator. He needed to get down to the computer lab. Joss and Bear was right behind him. She wanted him to call John and Shaw and warn them about Elias.

_"I intend to"_, he said as they entered the lab. _"I just hope I'm not too late."_

_"What?...What do you mean?"_

_"I mean…there's a possibility that the person John and Agent Shaw have been chasing around Paris is nothing more than a proxy. It's all coming together now. Elias is behind this. He sent out blind leads knowing that John and I would pick up on them. We weren't able to identify the source. That's why John and Agent Shaw flew to Paris. They needed to get close enough to track him." _

Joss watched in confusion as Finch pieced together the puzzle, typing codes and numbers into the computer. The language scrolling on the screen meant nothing to her, but it meant everything to him. He knew exactly what he was looking for within the encrypted numbers and letters.

_"What do you mean Harold? What's a blind lead? What's that all about?"_

_"About a week and a half ago the Machine dispersed a number. The photo of the person of interest was a top Diplomat from the UK, who'd flown to Paris to attend an International meeting with other top leaders. I received information that he'd supposedly been targeted as part of an international spy ring. I should have known that he was being used as a blind lead for Elias. John and Shaw was tracking Carl Elias, not the Diplomat."_

_"How much danger are they in Harold?"_ Joss asked as she sat in the chair in front of him.

_"When was the last time you talked to John?"_

_"I've only talked to him twice since you sent him and Shaw to Paris a week ago. I talked to him just before they boarded the plane, and then again when they arrived in Paris. Why?"_

_"For the last three days, I have not been able to make contact with him or Agent Shaw."_

_"Neither have I…What's going on?"_

_"I hope I'm wrong Joss…but my gut tells me that John and Agent Shaw may already be in great danger, and…at the hand of Carl Elias." _

Joss covered her face with her hands and leaned forward. A quick discomforting pain shot through her stomach. Finch stood up from the chair and stared at the computer screen.

_"God, I hope you're wrong about all of this Harold. Why don't you try calling him now."_

He tapped John's number and waited for him to answer. It had already rang three times and he was about to end the call when he heard the voice of a man on the other end.

_"Hello Harold. I wondered when you'd try to call John and his cute little lady friend. I'm a little surprised at John's sloppiness... But then again, he's not exactly focusing on what he should these days…isn't that right… Detective?" _

Finch quickly paired the call and connected it to the computer. He tapped the video button and could see Elias and his surroundings. He wrote something on a piece of paper and held it up to Joss.

**_"Turn off the lights…Now!" _**The message read.

He knew that with Elias in possession of John's phone, it was connected to the computer and he'd be able to see inside the lab. Joss quickly tapped the light switch on the wall and the room went dark, all except for the brightness radiating from the computer screens.

_"By the way Harold…John sends his love."_

_"You crazy son-of-a-bitch! Where's John?!"_ Joss shouted.

_"Detective…Detective…Detective. I'd prefer you don't use that kind of language. I don't want our babies to be subjected to such filth. As for John and his pint sized lady friend…"_

_"Look who's talking!"_ Joss added interrupting Elias.

_"As I was about to say… they are in a safe place for now. I was a bit surprised though... Agent Shaw was harder to take down than John. I've elected to let the two of them take care of each other._ _You know…it's amazing what two people can do when they are handcuffed to a bed together. They've already been in that small little room for two days and nights Detective…alone. A man like John could get very lonely at night, and from what I can see…Agent Shaw would have no problem handling him…What do you think, Detective?" _

_"Where are they Elias?"_ Finch asked. _"What did you do to them?"_

_"Harold…you know me better than that. Let's just say, they never saw me coming. We both know what a sleep inducing tranquilizer dart mixed with a little poison can do to a person. The agonizing pain and need to sleep can be overpowering. I'm sure you're familiar with what I'm talking about...right Harold?"_

Joss eyes were filled with rage, tears, anger and disgust. She didn't want to listen to anymore of Elias bullshit. She stormed out of the lab with Bear right behind her, occasionally stopping and looking behind him to see if Finch was in tow.

She went upstairs to the bedroom and fell across the bed. Joss could not hold back the tears any longer, and definitely was not going to give Elias the satisfaction of hearing her cry. It felt as if the babies could feel her anguish. A sharp pain shot through her stomach again. She clutched it and rocked back and forth, whispering John's name over and over.

_"Elias…tell me what you want me to do. You don't want any harm to come to them. I've got enough money and resources at my disposal to hunt you down... and I will. Tell me what to do to get John and Agent Shaw back."_

_"That's easy Harold. I want Detective Carter here with me. I want to be a part of the babies lives when they are born. I want us to be the family we were meant to be. Do you hear me Detective? I want you here with me! I want you on a plane to Paris within the next forty-eight hours. If you do that, then I will let John and his pretty little mistress go. Do you hear me Detective?!"_ he shouted.

_"She's not in the room anymore Elias. It's only you and me." _

_"You have two days to get her here to me Harold. Two fucking days! If you want to see John Reese and Agent Shaw alive again…you bring Detective Carter to me!"_

Elias gave Finch a number to call the moment they arrive at the airport in Paris. He told him that they would receive further instructions when they arrive. When Elias ended the call, Finch sat quietly for a moment trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation. It was past midnight and he had a lot of work to do with not a minute to lose.

So many times John had to rescue him from Root, and now the table had turned. It was going to be up to him to rescue John and Agent Shaw from the evil clutches of Carl Elias. The only bright side of what was happening was the fact that he'd given him two days.

Finch knew that he would need to enlist the help of Detective Fusco, and they would need a proxy to stand in for Joss. There was no way she'd be able to travel for almost seven hours on a plane. Even if she could, the situation would be too dangerous to place her and the babies in the midst.

He was hoping that maybe Detective Fusco would be able to persuade a female officer from the Precinct, someone who would be willing to work with them and stand in as a proxy. She would need to at least have features similar to Joss.

Finch called Detective Fusco and filled him in on some of the details, assuring him that he'd be able to tell him more when he arrive at the bunker around eight. He asked Fusco if he knew of anyone who'd be a willing participant to stand in as a proxy for Detective Carter.

Fusco thought about it for a few minutes before answering. He thought about Officer Barbara O'Connor. She was a ten year veteran of the police force, and had worked many sting operations with him and Detective Carter. After widespread corruption within the department, Officer O'Connor had been targeted several times, and almost lost her job.

Detective Terney did the same to her as he'd done to Detective Carter. He accused Officer O'Connor of shooting an unarmed assailant. She was suspended for two months without pay, and later demoted to beat cop.

Fusco was pretty damn sure that she'd be more than happy to assist them. And she was definitely a dead giveaway for Detective Carter. People often mistook them for twins, if not sisters. After he'd called Detective Fusco, Finch went upstairs to check on Joss, but her and Bear had already left the bedroom and was in the library, sitting in front of the cozy fire in the fireplace.

The sharp pains in her stomach had stopped. She realized then that she needed to calm down. After searching her bedroom, the living room and kitchen, Finch saw the light on in the library. He walked in and sat on the couch across from her, wishing that he could find the right words to say to make the pain in her heart and eyes go away.

_"Joss…I…I know how you must be feeling right now but, you know John. You know that if there is a way out of the situation_ _he is in…he will do what it takes to free himself, and so will Agent Shaw." _

_"I know Harold",_ she said calmly. She turned and looked at him with an almost serene smile on her face.

_"I know my John. He will be fine. He has a chance to be a father for the first time in his life Harold. Against all odds, he took a chance and let normalcy back into his life. There is no way he will let Elias take that away from him. Tell me what you want me to do to help and I will do it."_

Joss got up from the recliner, walked over to the sofa and sat down next to Finch. Bear seemed to be enjoying the warm fire and opted to stay put.

_"What I want you to do is let me handle this. I've called in a little help. Detective Fusco has agreed to do whatever he can to help me. We have two days to devise a plan. He will be bringing a female Officer with him. You may know her. Officer Barbara O'Connor?"_

Joss smiled, almost giddy with glee knowing that Lionel had chosen a damn good cop.

_"Yeah…my twin sister, at least that's what everyone use to tell us at the Precinct."_

_"I hope you're right Joss. She's going to be your proxy when the two of us arrive in Paris in two days." _

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"It seems Elias is willing to do a trade off. He wants me to bring you to him in Paris, in exchange for John and Agent Shaw."_

_"But…but what if he finds out that it's not me? What will happen to Officer O'Connor? John? Agent Shaw? What will happen to them Harold? I don't know…this sounds too risky."_

_"Don't worry Joss. We will not be working alone. I have intelligence contacts in Paris who will be on standby to assist Detective Fusco. Once we arrive, the Detective will meet with the authorities there and brief them on Carl Elias criminal background and history. They will soon learn how dangerous this man is and what he is capable of doing. So, don't you worry, John will be home in plenty of time for Christmas. But…Joss, if you don't mind the intrusion, I suggest the two of you sit down and talk. If you choose not to, the consequences could be dire."_

Joss smiled, patted the top of his hand and left the lab. Finch had a lot on his mind and knew that he would be working through the night to devise the perfect rescue plan. There were a few more calls he needed to make to officials in Paris. He was not going to take any chances. Joss was right…this was a tricky situation and something could go terribly wrong if they didn't plan carefully.

**Paris France….**

Elias owned a beautiful Chateau in Paris France, with eight bedrooms and six bathrooms. The outside could use some work, but the interior was breathtaking. The double stairwell had a regal beauty about it, and often received rave reviews when guests entered the castle.

He'd inherited the Chateau ten years ago after his eccentric millionaire grandfather died. After learning that his grandfather left most of his estate and money to his devoted staff, they started disappearing one by one.

The investigation into these brutal crimes were never solved. Paris officials were not able to trace the connection to Carl Elias, since he was still in the U. S. when the brutal killings occurred. It seemed once again, he'd gotten away with murder, whether he did it or not, blood was on his hands.

Two years before he died, his grandfather was committed to a psychiatric hospital when his butler found him sitting on the steps of the Chateau, completely naked in freezing weather conditions. One week later he died from complications of pneumonia. The old man left everything, except the Chateau, to his devoted staff. The Chateau, now estimated to be worth millions, had been left to his only surviving heir, Carl Elias.

In one of the eight bedrooms, Elias had cuffed John and Agent Shaw to a bed together after they'd been shot with poison tranquilizer darts. For two days the two of them struggled to free themselves, while fighting against severe stomach cramps and pain they'd endured from the poison.

Both survived mainly because Elias was not trying to kill them. They were his leverage to bargain for Detective Carter. After awakening, they both felt nauseated and a little weak. Their visions were blurred and their bodies were drenched in sweat. The sweat on her hands would play a significant role in breaking free from the cuffs. This enabled Shaw to be able to work her hands out of one of the cuffs. Once she'd freed herself, she searched for something to unlock the cuffs from John's hands.

She searched the closet, dresser and nightstand drawers, placing everything she'd found on top of the nightstand next to John. They stared at the rusty scissors, partial roll of duct tape, pliers and the box of paper clips. Shaw studied how she could use the tools to free John, who was growing impatient by the minute.

_"What are you doing…introducing yourself to them? Get moving Shaw! We have about twenty-two minutes before one of his goons come back in here."_ John said as he wiggled and twist his wrists.

_"Can it will you…I'm thinking over here. I've got to make sure I get this right."_

Shaw unraveled two of the clips and used the pliers to flatten the tips. She slid the flattened tip toward the end of the scissors and taped the clips to the end. This would enable a better grip to keep the clips from slipping from her sweaty palms.

John watched in silence knowing that what she was doing could possibly work. She straddled his body, her small but sexy breasts directly in eyesight. He tried to look away but it was impossible. The top she was wearing was soaked with sweat and clinging to her body.

Her pink nipples protruded like two mountain peaks as she reached up and inserted the clip as far as it would go into the cuffs. She pressed the upper portion of her body into John's face, her hardened nipples rubbing against his lips. She knew it was getting to him from the hardness of his cock rubbing against her knee.

_"My, my…seems I've awakened a sleeping dragon",_ she said as she twist and twirled the clip around a few times. _"When I'm done here, why don't you let me take care of that for you."_

_"Shut up and screw!"_ he said through clenched teeth.

_"I'd be happy to John, but right now, don't you think I should free your hands first?"_

A few more twists and they heard a snap. She looked down at him and the two of them smiled at each other.

_"You're damn good."_ John said as he brushed her tiny body off his.

_"So I've been told. Too bad you'll never get the chance to find out just how good I am"_, she said, winking at him and running to the door to try to open it.

They knew that this was just the beginning. Like clockwork, Elias would send one of his men to the room every hour on the hour to check on them.

_"We have about eight minutes before one of them walk in. How do you want to do this?"_ Shaw asked.

_"I've got a better question…Where do we hide the body?"_ John replied.

Back at the bunker, Finch covered a lot of ground contacting officials in Paris and giving them heads up about Carl Elias and his involvement in the kidnapping of two American Agents. By the time he finished they were ready to take him down.

**Episode 2: Takedown in Paris **

As John and Shaw work their way through the Chateau, taking down Elias men, the French police have already dispersed officers to surround the Chateau. Meanwhile… Finch, Detective Fusco and Officer O'Connor arrive in Paris France. While Detective Fusco meet with French officials, Officer O'Connor and Finch are whisked away by Elias men, and taken to an undisclosed location not far from the Chateau. By the end of the takedown of Carl Elias, there will be death and permanent scars that no one seen coming.


	2. Episode 2: Takedown in Paris

**Chapter 9: Under New Management**

**Synopsis:**

John and Shaw work their way through the castle taking down Elias goons as they make their way to the ground floor. Meanwhile… Detective Fusco has given French officials all the proof they need to assist him in capturing Carl Elias, and expediting him back to the U.S. to face charges for the crimes he committed. By the end of the takedown, some will die while others are permanently scarred.

* * *

**Excerpt:**_ "Never met a man…or woman, I couldn't handle. Just say when"_, she said as she winked at John and prepared to spring into action.

* * *

**Episode 2: Takedown in Paris**

John and Shaw had already made their way down to the second floor of the five-story castle. They were trying to reach the bottom floor where Elias and his men were located in a huge room across the hall leading to the foyer, discussing their next move.

Four of his men were dead and two were indisposed. John and Shaw watched and listened from the second floor, lying next to each other as they peeked over the rails. They could see Elias surrounded by three of his men. They weren't sure if there were more in the Chateau, but that was a chance they'd have to take.

_"Can you handle the three blind mice? I'm going after Elias."_ John whispered to Shaw.

_"Never met a man…or woman, I couldn't handle. Just say when"_, she said as she winked at John and prepared to spring into action.

He motioned for her to work the other side of the room, allowing him to go after Carl Elias. All she'd have to do was get their attention. Shaw slowly walked down the stairs toward the ground floor.

_"Hey!...guys…over here!"_ She yelled at the three men surrounding Elias.

Two of them ran toward the stairs in hot pursuit of Shaw. She was quicker and lighter than they were but they remained in hot pursuit.

_"Get her!"_ Elias yelled, then turned to the other man. _"Where's John?! Find him!"_ he shouted.

John raced down the stairs and straight into a combat fight with the third man. The two of them engaged in a quick one-on-one scuffle, both equally trained and skilled in combat-styled fighting, but John got the best of him when in one swift move he broke his neck.

He scanned the room looking for Elias, but he'd already ran and hid in another location in the Chateau. John searched the ground floor, room by room, while Shaw took care of the two men chasing her. She'd already watched one of the men fall to his death from the third floor, while the other was still in hot pursuit.

John made his way to the door of a stately room. He could hear the sound of voices coming from the other side of the closed door. He twist the crystal doorknob and pushed it open, scanning the room before entering and seeing no sign of Elias. John cautiously slipped into the regal room and slowly approached the huge desk and chair in front of him, facing away from the door.

_"Hi John…You never cease to amaze me. I knew you'd find me sooner or later…but, I'll advice you not to act too fast. There's something I think you should see first", _he said as he stood and faced John.

The look in Elias eyes were sinister. John glared at him, his eyes filled with rage. The only thing keeping him from choking the hell out of Elias was the gun in his hand, pointing directly at him.

_"You're just in time John." _Elias said as the red laser dot slowly moved up toward John's chest.

He wanted to rip Elias heart out. The two men locked eyes neither trusting what the other would do.

_"Please…sit down", _he said, but that was not in John's DNA, especially coming from a bastard like Elias.

_"You brought us here for a reason Elias…What do you want?" John asked._

That night after being hit with the poison darts, through blurred vision, John remembered seeing Elias looking down at him. He remembered the double staircase and seeing lots of bright lights. John remembered being punched in the stomach and face when he tried to keep Elias men from cuffing him and Shaw to the bed. With the gun still pointed at John, Elias felt invincible and victorious. This was his moment and he was going to take it, use it to his advantage and twist the knife deeper.

_"You don't get it do you? This isn't about you John. This has never been about you."_

_"I don't need your bullshit Elias! What do you want g'dammit?"_

Elias walked from behind the desk with his finger on the trigger. He walked over to the flat panel big screen TV mounted on the wall. He removed a tiny disc and inserted it into the disc player on the side of the TV.

_"Did she tell you what really happened that night at the cabin John?"_

_"Elias!"_ he shouted through clenched teeth and fists as he made a move toward him.

But once again Elis aimed the gun at his chest with his hand on the trigger. The red dot was now planted right above his heart, as he dared John to move. The vein in John's forehead was protruding, his eyes were red with rage, his teeth clenched. He knew that whatever Elias was about to say and do would not be something he'd soon forget.

_"What I have to show you will explain a lot. Believe me John...I take no personal pleasure in doing things this way, but you see…your precious Detective Carter should have been more…shall we say…__**attentive **__of her surroundings that night in the cabin. I have to admit John… she did get me good in the end, but… she gave me a hell of a lot more than she realized. I don't think she'll ever admit it to you though…but thanks to Harold, she won't have to... I have all the proof I need and now...so will you."_

John knew in his guts that what Elias was about to show him would be etched in his memory forever. He knew in his guts that he was about to see what really happened that night in the cabin.

_"You sick bastard!"_

_"I really think you need to sit down John. You see, Harold left some pretty expensive video equipment in that cabin. I discovered his dirty little secret too John. Your friend and master of disguise, Harold Finch…let's just say, he's got a fucking sick fetish himself. Seems old Harold likes to create virtual worlds of him and his lady friend…what's her name…Oh yeah, Grace!" _

Elias stood before John, who was not about to oblige him in any way, gun or no gun, he was not going to give him the satisfaction of thinking that he was in complete control.

_"What the hell do you want Elias?!"_

_"A bag of popcorn and a pop would be nice John, but… we can't always get what we want…wouldn't you agree?"_

Without saying another word, Elias pointed at the huge TV on the wall. John glanced up at the screen. The image of her lying in the bed fighting against the intrusion that was being forced upon her. John watched helplessly as Elias and Joss scuffled on the bed, his naked body straddling hers as she struggled to reach for something beneath her pillow. In just a split second she'd lost control of the situation, allowing Elias to slip through the crack of opportunity.

John lunged at Elias but he pointed the gun at his face, the red dot centered between his eyes.

_"Ohhhh no pretty boy…not so fast. You need to see this… all of it!"_

John hesitated, turned slowly toward the screan and watched the woman he love fighting for her life. She screamed_…"Noooo Elias! Get off me!" as she fought to regain control. _He watched as she tried to break free from his grip, but he pulled her back down to the bed. Fighting with everything she had, he overpowered her and pinned her body to the bed, backhanding her across the face.

In helpless, stomach-turning horror, John watched as Elias forced himself on her. Joss screamed and fought back hard. _"Noooooo! God, Noooo! Elias! Stop! Stop!"_ He raped her despite her pleas. At that moment, John felt his heart had been ripped to shreds. He was filled with so much hate, anger and rage he couldn't move. John stared past the TV, his mind drifting into total darkness. All he could hear was moaning and insufferable screams.

Suddenly, the blast of a gun being fired echoed in his ears, jolting him back from the darkness to focus on what was happening on the screen. He glanced at it screen in time to see her pull the trigger. Elias fell to the floor on one knee, the other shattered by the bullet that had enlarged in it. He watched as she pulled the trigger again. Elias grabbed his arm as blood spewed like a gusher, splattering her face and clothes. Somehow she'd managed to free herself from his reign of terror and shot him twice.

Agent Shaw stormed into the room ready to take action. She froze in place when Elias turned and pointed the gun at her, beckoning for her to move closer to where John was standing. His eyes remained locked onto the video, captivated by everything that was playing out on the screen. Shaw nudged his arm, temporarily catching a glance from him, but the look in his eyes almost appeared hopeless.

_"John! Don't look at it!" _she whispered.

_"Don't listen to her John. If you don't watch, you'll never know the truth."_

John turned and faced the video. He wanted to know what happened. He needed to know what happened that night in the cabin. They looked on in total disbelief as Joss tried to clean the evidence of Elias semen from her clothes and body, horrified and visibly shaken, she removed her soiled panites, discarding them as she slipped into clean ones.

They could hear Elias screaming and moaning in pain from the gunshot wounds, and watched as Joss walked over to him and knocked him across the face with the butt-end of the gun. _"You fuckin' bastard! You raped me!"_ she shouted, pointing the gun in his face as Elias begged her not to kill him. _"Tell me why…why should I let you live?!"_ She hit him with the gun again as blood drizzled from his nose and mouth, splattering onto the ripped shirt she was wearing. They heard his body when it fell and the loud thump of his head hitting the floor.

John realized that much of what she'd told him that night was a lie. It didn't match what he had just witnessed with his own eyes. He turned toward Elias with murder in his eyes. Gun or no gun, he wanted a piece of him. Elias smirked at the joy of knowing what this was doing to John. He fired the gun in his direction, narrowly missing his face by an inch.

_"Unh, unh, unh John…Next time, I won't miss. Back off!"_ he shouted.

The sound of a deep voice rang out over the intercom in the room. "Boss...we're here." Elias kept his eyes glued on John and Shaw with the gun pointed straight at them. He backed up toward the wal and pressed the intercom button. _"Good. You're right on time. Bring them in." _Elias responded.

John and Shaw looked at each other in wonderment.

_"Move over there"_, he said to the two of them, waving the gun toward the doorway of the room.

They watched as two of Elias men entered the room with Harold and a cleverly disguised Officer O'Connor, who could pass as a twin for Detective Carter. Even John was unaware that the woman behind the disguise was not her.

"Joss!" he screamed, making a move toward her.

_"Think!…John, before you act!" _Elias shouted, firing the gun in his direction again._ "Her life and the lives of the twins are in your hand, including your partner in crime…Harold Finch. What you do now could determine whether they live or die. Think carefully."_

_"You fucking son-of-a-bitch! If you hurt them… you're a dead man! I promise you…I will kill you a hundred times over Elias!"_

_"Don't try to be a hero John. I suggest you shut up and listen to what I have to say. They belong to me. I gave her more than you ever will…I gave her life! You saw it for yourself. I am their father! That night… we made more than love John…"_

_"That wasn't love you son-of-a-bitch! You raped her!" _John shouted.

_"Rape…making love…a good fuck…whatever!" _he responded with sarcasm.

_"You're not going to hurt her, you said it yourself…the babies are yours. If you hurt her…you risk losing them!" _

Shaw looked over at John and winked. But this was not the time to try anything clever. The chances of something going horribly wrong was imminent. Without warning she made a quick move, lowering her body to the floor and sliding toward Officer O'Connor and Finch to try to push them out of harm's way.

Just as she did, Elias pulled the trigger. His target was Shaw, but he shot Officer O'Connor in the head, killing her instantly. Finch managed to free himself from the goon gripping his arm, and run for cover. Shocked at what he'd done, thinking that he'd killed Detective Carter and the babies, Elias dropped the gun from his hand.

_"Nooooooooo!"_ John shouted as he ran over to the body lying in a pool of blood.

He cradled her in his arms and placed his hand on her stomach as rage built up inside of him. He laid his face against hers and lifted her hand up to his mouth, kissing and rubbing her hand against his face. Suddenly, he noticed something that made his heart flutter. The band ring on her finger was not his grandmother's ring. Something wasn't right. This was not Joss.

He scanned the room for Finch who was hiding behind a wall. This was his plan. He'd come here to try to rescue them, but who was the woman disguised to look like Joss? John knew that he would have to go along with whatever was happening and not give it away. He eased the body of the woman back down to the floor. His clothes now soaked with her blood, he raced toward Elias with murder in mind.

_"You sick son-of-a-bitch!"_ John yelled as he grabbed Elias throat and began choking him.

Shaw had already grabbed the gun and fired at the two men running toward them. She shot one in his chest and the other in his right eye and neck. He died instantly. The other man tried to reach for his gun, which he'd dropped when Finch freed himself from his grip. By then, Finch was standing over him with the gun and pulled the trigger shooting him in the head.

Finch dropped the gun and fell to his knees. He'd never shot anyone before. When he looked over at Officer O'Connor lying in her own pool of blood, this was one time that Finch felt that what he'd done was justifiable.

After beating Elias almost within an inch of his life, John flung him across the room, ran over, picked him up from the floor and was about to punch him in the face again, when Shaw grabbed his hand and held firm.

_"No more John…he's done"_, she said calmly.

There was so much rage in his eyes. John glared at her trying to snap out of the desire to finish Elias off. He glanced across the room and saw Finch kneeling down beside Officer O'Connor. He released his grip on a severely beaten Elias and shoved him to the floor. Finch had already alerted the French police and they were on their way with medics in tow. They were expecting the worst and called in groves of back up. Heartbroken and visibly shaken over how Officer O'Connor had been murdered, John and Shaw walked over to assist Finch.

_"Who is she Harold?"_ John asked.

_"Officer Barbara O'Connor. Detective Fusco recruited her to assist in helping to capture Elias and bring him back to the U.S. to face charges of murder. He wanted me to bring Joss to him. We decided that if we could find someone to stand in as her proxy, maybe we could fool him long enough to carry out his plans. He wanted to trade you and Agent Shaw for Joss, but it wasn't suppose to end like this." _

_"How did you know it wasn't her? She looks so much like Detective Carter."_ Shaw asked John.

_"The ring on her finger." _John knelt down beside the body and held her hand.

_"Officer O'Connor and Joss were pretty close John. This will be devastating to her. By tonight it'll be breaking news here in Paris. By tomorrow…it'll hit the states. We've got to talk to her first."_

As French policemen swarmed the Chateau, Elias was slightly conscious. He slowly slid his bloody hand behind him and retrieved a small handgun. With everyone focused on Officer O'Connor, they didn't see Elias holding the gun. Still thinking that he'd killed Detective Carter and the babies, he aimed the gun at his head but missed, shooting himself in the neck. The bullet lodged in his spinal cord. He let out a blood-curdling scream in agonizing pain as blood gushed from the entry of the bullet. John, Shaw and several policemen raced over to an unconscious Elias. Shaw knelt down beside his body and placed two fingers on his wrist.

_"The bastard's still alive! I got a pulse!"_ she shouted.

Officers and emergency medical teams worked quickly to save his life. They'd already loaded the dead body of Officer O'Connor onto a stretcher, and placed her in the back of one of the ambulances. The two men who'd been shot by Shaw had also been loaded into ambulances. As officers searched the Chateau, they soon discovered other bodies and called for additional emergency wagons and medical personnel.

John, Finch and Shaw walked out of the Chateau and stood outside. The Chateau had been sealed off to preserve evidence. It was now a crime scene and no one was allowed to go back into the building. When they all arrived at the police department, Detective Fusco was waiting in the Captain's office. He had already heard about Officer O'Connor's death, and was pissed as hell when he walked up to them.

_"What happened g'dammit?! You said nothing would go wrong?"_

_"She was shot…by Elias." _Finch responded.

_"How in the hell could you let that happen? You fucked up!" _Fusco shouted at Finch as he stood motionless and silent, taking the bulk of Fusco's anger.

_"Calm down Lionel…"_ John said. _"You know Harold. He didn't just __**let **__it happen."_

_"Hey…you calm down alright! I was suppose to protect her…keep her safe. Bring her back in one piece. What am I suppose to tell the Captain when I get back? Calm down...is that what I say to him?" _

Detective Fusco walked out of the office, leaving the three of them looking guilt-ridden over what had happened. Fusco was right. He was going to have to explain a lot of things that he had no answers to, but Finch did. He was not going to let Officer O'Connor's death be in vain.

None of them were allowed to leave Paris until the next day. The French police questioned each of them extensively, writing down as much information as they could. After interrogating Finch, they were satisfied with what they'd been told, and offered to provide services to extradite Elias and Officer O'Connor back to the U.S.

John, Finch, Shaw and Fusco discovered the next day that Elias survived his self-inflicted gunshot wound, but he was now paralyzed from the waist down and in critical condition. They were told that if his body responds to the treatments being administered to keep him alive, he'd survive but would never walk again. Thye could not remove the bullet that was emlarged in his spine, to do so would result in instant death. Fusco and Shaw had no problem with the latter.

Later that evening the four of them boarded the plane, bound for New York. On the flight home, Harold and Detective Fusco sat next to each other, and John and Shaw sat together two rows behind them. No one said a word for almost an hour. Each one of them lost in their own thoughts.

_"Detective…I know that you're angry as hell right now, but we need to talk. I know that you think you have no way of explaining what happened in Paris to your Captain, but you do." _

_"Yeah…well tell me what it is hotshot, since you seem to have all of the fuckin' answers tucked away in that computer brain of yours. Who are you any way...some long lost relative of Einstein?"_

Finch ignored the 'pun intended' insult from Detective Fusco.

_"Carl Elias is your answer Detective. Had everything gone as planned, you and Officer O'Connor would be receiving a medal of honor by next week."_

_"And how am I suppose to convince the Captain why she was in Paris with me, posing as Detective Carter?" _

_"Tell them who you went there for Detective. It won't be a lie. You went there for one purpose and that was to arrest Carl Elias and bring him back to New York to stand trial. Tell them that you received an anonymous tip that he was in Paris. You needed back up, and Officer O'Connor was the only cop you could trust to help bring Elias back to face justice. You still have a chance to honor her name and what she did Detective. She died in the line of duty. She died doing her job. She should be awarded the highest medal of honor for her bravery."_

Two rows behind them, John and Shaw had engaged in a different topic of conversation.

_"Have you tried calling her yet?"_ Shaw asked as he stared out of the window.

_"Not yet. I need to be there with her when I tell her what happened. I don't want her to be alone."_

The two of them sat quietly for a few minutes. There was a question burning inside John's mind that he wanted to ask, but before he could, she seemed to already know what he was thinking.

_"It was my fault…I moved and Elias shot her instead. He was trying to shoot me."_

_"Why did you make that move Shaw?"_

_"I thought that I could take his mind off of us long enough to get the gun from him. I saw the moment but miscalculated the timing of his men entering the room with that Officer in front of them. I've killed a lot of people John, but usually, they deserved it. She didn't deserve to die that way. I feel as if I pulled the trigger myself."_

_"Don't beat yourself up over it. That won't bring her back. We can only honor the work she's done. Officer O'Connor died in the line of duty, and Finch and I will make damn sure she get the honor she deserves. Her death will not be in vain."_

Agent Shaw thought about the next question before presenting it to John, but she was curious.

_"Did you believe what he said about the babies? Do you believe that he is the father?"_ she asked.

John stared out of the window for almost ten minutes without saying a word. Taking his silence as a sign, Shaw leaned back and closed her eyes. _Either he wasn't sure if Elias was telling the truth, or he just didn't want to talk about it_, she thought.

_"I don't know…"_ John responded after ten minutes of silence.

_"Pardon? What did you say?"_

_"I don't know what to believe anymore."_

_"Is that why you removed the disc and put it in your pocket?"_

_"He raped her that night Shaw!"_ he shouted.

He quickly lowered his voice when he noticed people looking at them.

_"I knew that something bad had happened in that cabin that night. He was naked when Lionel and I got there. She said he tried to rape her and she shot him before he could. The bastard raped her! Why did she lie about it?! She should have pressed charges against him that night!"_

_"John, come on…don't use it against her. Don't do this."_

_"Don't do what? I tried to convince myself that nothing happened, but what I saw on that video…How could she lie to me about something like that? I want her to tell me the truth, and if she don't…"_

_"What? If she don't tell you the truth…you'll show her the disc…is that it? You plan to force her to tell you the truth or face the consequences of having to sit and relive the pain of watching the video! That's fuckin' bullshit John!" _

_"Shut the hell up! You don't know what you're talking about!" John responded angrily._

Agent Shaw thought for a minute. What she was about to tell him, she'd never told to anyone.

_"I was raped when I was fifteen. For years I blamed myself and took my anger and frustration out on others."_

John glanced over at her._ "Why didn't you tell someone?" _

_"I was afraid of what it would do to my family, and how my friends at school would treat me when they found out. You're the first person I've ever told."_

_"So you opted to let a rapist go free? How can you justify that?" _he leaned back and closed his eyes.

_"The rapist…was my father." _

John leaned forward. He wanted to say something but was suddenly at a loss for words. He reared his head back and stared into the open space above him, angered and shocked at what she'd just told him.

_"I didn't want my loved ones to suffer the shame and humiliation I thought would follow if I told. I chose to keep quiet, and learned to live in denial. For two years I suffered in silence at the hands of my father. When I turned seventeen, I ran away from home, worked odd jobs and lived in seedy motels. Then one day, I met someone who changed my life forever. His uncle was an ex-CIA Agent. Ten years later, I'd graduated at the top of the class."_

_"What happened to your father?"_

_"I didn't know for a while. I never looked back. Six years ago I found out that my mother had breast cancer. When I visited the hospital, she was so frail and could barely speack. There was so much I needed to say to her, but I'd waited too long. She told me that my father died three years after I left. I'm telling you all of this because... maybe that's what Joss is trying to do. Maybe she's trying to shield the people she love from the pain and anguish." _

_"You don't get it do you? She lied to me. I never gave her a reason to lie to me about something like this! I don't need her to protect me! Are the babies mine? Dammit! I don't know anymore!" _

_"I do get it! I get that you're doing just what she think you'd do…blame her! If you go home to her with that fucking attitude…you're going to lose her!"_

_"If I go home to her and say nothing…she's lost me!"_

Shaw tried to reach over and touch John's hand, but he quickly pulled away and stared out of the window of the plane. John said nothing more for the remaining four hours of the flight.

It took some tough talk, but Finch finally convinced Detective Fusco to do the right thing and let Officer O'Connor's death be for a reason, and not lose sight of the importance of her work, bickering over an ongoing investigation that might end up degrading her name and status as a good, decent, hardworking police officer.

Her body would be extradited back to the U.S. within three days once French officials receive approval from her family to proceed with preparing her body for shipment back to the states.

Their plane touched down at JFK airport around nine that night. The four of them arrived back at the Library later, to discuss among themselves, everything that had occurred. It was midnight when Detective Fusco arrived at the Precinct. He was met by the Acting Captain who'd replaced one of several Captains of the Eighth Precinct, who were now under investigation by Internal Affairs.

Once he entered the Precinct, Captain Snyder called him into his office. He informed Detective Fusco that French officials had already contacted him with detailed information about the murder of Officer O'Connor. He'd been briefed on everything, from the tip detective Fusco received about Elias being in Paris, to the murder of Officer O'Connor, and the fact that Elias was now in the custody of French officials who would extradite him back to the U.S. when his health improves. They congratulated Officer O'Connor and Detective Fusco for their dedication, devotion and bravery in bringing a fugitive to justice who'd fled to their country.

One could say that Harold Finch went right to work after returning from Paris France. He had already used all the clout he had to make sure Detective Fusco and Officer O'Connor get the credit and honor they both deserved. The way in which Fusco handled French authorities when they arrived in Paris, was nothing short of brilliance. As Finch stated, _"Say what you will about Detective Fusco…he's smarter than most scholars I know." _

Meanwhile, John was sitting outside the bunker. It was almost two in the morning. He knew that Joss was probably asleep by now. He sat in the Hummer for a while thinking about everything that had happened. The death of Officer O'Connor. The rape. The lies. The deceit. John felt as if he was being punished for something and he had no control over it.

He parked the Hummer into the garage and took the elevator upstairs to the second floor of the bunker. He was tired as hell. John grabbed a bottle of Scotch from the liquor cabinet, and an empty glass. He walked into the library and crashed in the recliner. An hour later he'd fallen asleep. The empty glass with remnants of Scotch lingering in a small puddle on the floor, had landed down by his feet. The half empty bottle of Scotch was on the table next to him.

That night… sadness, pain and confusion entered the bunker...And there were sure to be questions asked later...in search of some serious answers.

**Episode 3: Blue Christmas**

Joss finally get the chance pay respect to Officer Barbara O'Connor, after accidentally bumping into her sister at a small coffee shop in town. She also discovers that Officer O'Connor has a four-year-old son. Although Christmas dinner rivals Thanksgiving, guests pick up on signs that something is not right between the host and her missing partner. Finch siege the opportunity to intervene before its too late. After the holidays, the paternity results are ready to be viewed. The truth inside those sealed envelopes, in one way or the other, will seal the fate of their relationship.

_…"Only in fairy tales do couples seem to live perfect lives together and have lots and lots of beautiful babies. Sometimes… fairy tales just don't come true."…_


	3. Episode 3: Blue Christmas

**Chapter 9: Under New Management**

**Synopsis: **

Joss is so distraught over the death of Officer O'Connor, she takes her anger out on John. Tempers flare when he confronts her about the rape. Maybe he should have taken Shaw's advice. Signs of trouble is visibly brewing beneath the surface when Christmas dinner don't include John. As the merriment of holiday festivities wind down, some time alone to work through problems is in order for John and Joss.

* * *

**Excerpt: **_"I tried to forget what he said to me that night in the cabin. On the plane trip from Paris…I tried again to forget what I saw and heard. My heart tells me that I am the father, but my mind tells me something else. Move the doubt for me Joss…"_

* * *

**Episode 3: Blue Christmas**

The morning started beautiful. Joss opened her eyes to light snow flurries as she lay in bed staring out of the window. Everything seemed so peaceful. She looked down at the foot of the bed and Bear was still lying there with his head down and eyes closed. She wondered if things had gone as planned with the rescue mission. Joss hadn't heard from Harold since they left. She got up and sat on the side of the bed, rubbing her melon-sized belly.

Joss put on her robe and slipped into her bedroom slippers. She walked into the bathroom, brushed her hair back into a ponytail and brushed her teeth. The hot shower felt so good and relaxing. She let the warm water run over her belly, and for the first time she could feel a little movement inside. After she dressed, Joss headed downstairs to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee, with Bear following close beside her.

_'I know you're hungry too", _she said to Bear as she filled his bowls.

She prepared two bagels, topped them with sour cream, poured herself a glass of orange juice and took her prenatal vitamin. By that time the coffee was ready. She poured a cup and sat down at the table to eat the light breakfast she'd prepared. Joss glanced up at the clock on the wall and it was only eight-thirty. She didn't notice John when he walked up behind her, but Bear sure did. He barked and ran up to him wagging his tail in excitement.

She stood slowly and turned around. He was standing there with his arms wide open, waiting for her to enter and receive the embrace he longed to give her. Despite all of what had happened within the last three days, he missed her and couldn't wait to hold her in his arms again.

_"God! Why didn't you tell me you were back? What time did you get here John?"_ she asked as they hugged and kissed.

_"I got here around two in the morning babe. I didn't want to wake you. So, I crashed on the couch in the library. By the way...Where's Taylor?" _John asked as he reached into the cabinet for a coffee cup.

_"He's with grandma for a few days. He'll be back Sunday. So…tell me…did everything go as Harold planned?"_

John was pouring a cup of coffee when he paused and looked over in her direction. The look in his eyes made her feel uneasy.

_"John…?" _she inquired as she slowly got up from the chair.

He finished pouring the coffee and told her to sit down. He sat across from her and stared down at the cup. It was apparent that she hadn't heard the news yet, and what he was about to say to her was not going to be easy.

_"John?...Talk to me. Did everything go as planned? Where's Harold?" _

John could barely look up at her. He twirled the cup of coffee and avoided eye contact for just a second as he tried to find the right way to tell her what had happened.

_"Joss…sweetheart…God, this is difficult for me to say."_

_"Tell me something John!"_ she shouted. _"Please…tell me…"_

_"Officer O'Connor didn't make it. Elias shot her. The bastard killed her!" _

She stared at him as tears welled up in her eyes. Her body began to tremble. Joss screamed and pounded the table with her fists. He grabbed her and held her tight as she wept, pounding his chest repeatedly. She pushed her body away from his and screamed, swinging her arms, fighting against him and pushing him away.

_"Nooooo!"_ She screamed, _"Ohhhh God!...Nooooo! Why John? Why!"_ she screamed.

He pulled her back into his arms, gripping her tighter. Joss legs gave way to the anguish and sorrow she was feeling as he pulled her limp body up to keep her from falling to the floor. Realizing that her weakness was no match, they both surrendered to the sorrow and slid to the floor. He leaned his back against the wall and cradled her in his arms. Her pain was his pain, her tears his sorrow.

_"Joss…Joss…Shhh…I'm sorry babe. I'm so sorry. Shhh…I'm sorry"_, he said as he comforted her.

John held on to her as he lifted himself up from the floor, pulling her limp body up with him. They walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Bear laid down next to John's feet, occasionally looking up at the two of them and whimpering in response to her cries.

As her weeping slowly subsided, Joss stared out of the window, calmed by his fingers raking through her hair, rubbing her head and face. Quietness took center stage in the room, giving meaning to the phrase… _you could hear a pin drop_.

Minutes passed before any words were spoken...

_"What happened John?"_ she asked with subdued calmness, her head resting on his chest as she flicked the buttons on his shirt.

He began to tell her in detail, everything that happened, from the moment him and Shaw was shot with the tranquilizer darts, to the moment when Elias shot and killed Officer O'Connor. But there was one issue he took caution not to mention. The video he viewed of Elias raping her. Now was not the time. All he wanted to do now was keep her calm. A few minutes later, Joss stood up and looked past John, not at him. Her mind seemed to be a thousand miles away.

_"I want to pay my respects"_, she said as she turned and walked out of the living room and went upstairs to the bedroom.

John followed her with Bear tagging along beside him. _"Bear …blijven!"_ he said in Dutch. In obedience, Bear sat quietly at the top of the stairs.

The doors to the bedroom slid open and closed behind them. John sat on the edge of the bed and watched as she frantically searched her closet for something suitable to wear. Dreading to shatter the moment, he had to tell her that Officer O'Connor's body had not made it back to the U.S.

According to the message he'd received from Detective Fusco, French officials were waiting for a response from the deceased officer's family, so that they could proceed with preparing the body for extradition back to the United States. It could be days before Joss would be able to pay her respects, and even then, they would have to sneak her in because of the ongoing investigation with HR, and the threats she continued to receive on her life.

_"Joss…listen to me. Her body is still in Paris. Lionel will contact Harold as soon as the body arrives back to the states." _

Standing in front of her closet, John could see her legs giving into the stress of all that had happened recently. He rushed to her side and grabbed her before she fell to the floor. John picked Joss up in his arms and carried her over to the bed.

_"I don't want you doing anything babe. You need to lay down for awhile. I mean it Joss. This isn't good for you and the babies. You've got to relax."_

_"No. No, I can't. I don't want to lay down. No."_, she said, sitting up on the side of the bed.

John knelt down in front of her and brushed her hair back across her shoulder. He looked up into her big sad eyes and his heart felt as if it had stopped beating. He was good at trying to help and protect others, but he'd failed to protect her from Elias, and now this.

_"What do you want to do Joss? Tell me what you want to do?"_ he asked, twirling his finger around a lock of her hair and trying to crack a warm, caring smile.

_"I need some air…I…I need to get out of here",_ she said rising from the bed.

_"Do you want to go for a walk? A drive? Whatever you want to do we'll do it."_

Joss walked over to the closet and got her coat and fur-trimmed snow boots. _"Let's go for a walk. Bear could use some time outside for a while"_, she said, smiling at him with a peaceful look that warmed his heart. Once outside, everything was as beautiful as ever, creating an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. They walked and engaged in various topics of conversation, at times laughing. There were moments when the two of them would stand still and he'd pull her close and wrap his arms around her.

For almost an hour, John was attentive and hung on to every word as she talked on and on about Officer O'Connor. He watched her eyes beam with joy as she talked about the fun they had when working together on many cases. Her sadness was replaced with smiles as she fondly remembered the time she spent with her friend and fellow officer.

Amid a light snowdrift, the two of them had sought shelter beneath the large Gazebo on the side of the bunker. They cuddled close together on the swing, watching Bear run and chase birds and squirrels. John glanced over at her, remembering why he fell in love with her, and why she had his heart in the palm of her hand. Joss stared into the distance, her mind a thousand miles away. She kept brushing her hair from her face each time a gust of wind blew past them. Occasionally, she'd glance in his direction and smile.

_"Are you all right babe?"_ he asked.

_"Yeah…I'm fine. I don't know… I was just thinking about the pain Elias has caused in our life. Why has this man become such an intricate part of our life? Why have we let him do this John?" _she asked, her head slanted slightly to the side as she stared at him.

Of course he knew how much pain Elias had caused them, and the entanglement of Elias in their lives were about to be far greater than she could imagine. John's thoughts reflected back to the video. The images of Elias raping her. He shook his head, trying to erase the images from his mind.

_"When he called me a few days ago…he said that the babies belonged to him John. In his mind he believed that we made love that night."_

John said nothing in response. He wanted to ask her why she lied to him about the rape. Why she felt that she had to always protect his feelings, by constantly telling him lies. John thought about what Agent Shaw said to him, and tried to talk to her instead of blame her.

_"I know Joss…" _he said, wanting to tell her just how much he really did know about that night.

But she knew that something was wrong. She could feel the tenseness all around them, and knew that something heavy was weighing on his mind.

_"Know __**what**__ John?" _she asked cautiously.

John sat quietly staring out into the wide open space watching Bear run and play. He glanced at her but didn't answer.

_"John…?"_

_"Look…maybe we shouldn't talk about that right now. It's beautiful out. Let's just enjoy this time together." _

He was trying hard not to go there with her. Knowing what he knew and had seen with his own eyes, he didn't want to go there with her right now, but she was being persistent and wouldn't let up on the questioning.

_"Do you know something that I don't?"_ she asked, and again he ignored her.

Joss got up and tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. The two of them stood face-to-face, staring each other down in total silence. The love they had for each other was being tested in a big way, and neither wanted to challenge its strength.

John leaned forward, placed his arms around Joss and kissed her. He kissed her hard and long, wanting her to feel him, taste him, know that he was there for her. His actions demanded respect and not to be lied to when it was convenient for her to avoid telling him the truth. She pushed away from him and walked toward Bear, whistling and patting her legs for him to come over.

_"Joss…wait"_, he said as he caught up to her. He tried to hold her hand but she snatched away from him again.

_"What are you doing? Why do you keep pulling away from me Joss?"_ he asked, his eyes fixed firmly onto hers.

_"I'm going back inside. When you're really ready to talk...you know where to find me." _

She turned and walked toward the bunker. _"Bear!"_ she shouted as he ran in front of her wagging his tail. The two of them went inside. Bear ran into the library, his favorite spot when he wanted to sleep. John clasped his hands together and placed them on top of his head. He was trying to enjoy the day with her without thinking of Elias, the rape or anything else that had happened. He stayed outside a few minutes longer, pondering whether to talk to her about the rape, or show her the video he still had in his possession.

He walked inside, removed his coat and sat down in the recliner. She had already curled up on the couch, her head resting on one of the pillows, listening to light classical music, highly recommended by Dr. Tanaka. Joss found it to be a soothing way to unwind and relax, especially when feeling stressed.

_"We need to talk"_, John said.

_"About?"_ she asked glancing in his direction.

_"Elias" _

_"Why would I want to do that?"_

_"What happened that night at the cabin Joss?."_

_"What the hell are you talking about? I told you what happened."_

_"Did you?"_ he asked as he leaned forward and looked directly at her.

_"How can you ask me that? Are you saying that I lied to you?"_

_"I'll ask again…Did you?"_

Joss looked at him but couldn't say anything. At a loss for words, she sat up, leaned forward and placed her elbows on her thighs. She gripped her fingers together and lowered her head down to rest on them.

_"Why did you lie to me?"_ he asked.

Joss shook her head in disagreement, but said nothing in response to him having just called her a liar.

_"Say something dammit!" _he shouted as he leaned forward.

_"We've been down this road before John…let it go",_ she said calmly.

_"No! Not this time…this time you're going to tell me something dammit!...Now!" _John shouted and stood up from the couch.

_"Ok…ok…why don't I just do that!" _she shouted as she stood and walked up to him. _"What about Elias?"_

_"I know about the rape!" _

Joss glared directly into his eyes. She shook her head in disagreement.

_"He didn't rape me John!"_ she shouted through clenched teeth and fiery eyes filled with anger and resentment.

He remained calm, his teary eyes holding a secret that was about to be exposed in more ways than one.

_"I saw it with my own eyes" _he said calmly, trying to get her to step up and face the truth.

She turned away from him and was about to walk away. He grabbed her hand and led her toward the elevator. The ride down to the computer lab was filled with thick tension. Once inside the computer lab, John unlocked a file cabinet, opened the drawer and removed the disc he'd taken from Elias.

He walked over to the computer and powered it up. This was something only the two of them needed to see. Finch had shown him how to disconnect from the Library when privacy was needed. He pressed the small button beneath the desk and inserted the small disc.

_"Sit down!"_ he shouted, but her stubborness refused his request.

_"What the…"_

_"Sit down Joss!"_ he said, pulling a chair out and pointing for her to sit.

He pressed the play button and stood behind her. Joss raised her hands to her mouth as she watched and listened. Every moment of what happened that night in the cabin was playing on the screen of the computer right before their eyes. Halfway through the video, she got up and ran out of the lab.

He didn't want to do it this way but John knew that in order for her to face the truth of what really happened, she needed to come fact-to-face with the evils of that night. He tapped the stop button and turned off the computer. John checked the library, living room and kitchen for her, but she'd already went upstairs and was lying across the bed on her side, curled up and clutching her stomach. He walked into the room and sat down beside her.

_"Joss, listen to me. We need to talk about this. You can't keep this inside. You need to accept what happened and let it out. I don't blame you for what happened. That bastard raped you and he should be prosecuted to the fullest for what he did. If you say or do nothing, you give him power. I won't let you do that to yourself Joss." _

He wiped the tears from her eyes and laid down behind her, pulling her body close to his, rubbing her belly and gently kissing her head.

_"I don't deserve you"_, she softly said.

_"I don't agree. I'm here to stay, whether you want me to or not."_

_"I keep messing things up every time I try to shield the people I love from harm."_

_"You can't use the need to protect those you love as a means to lie Joss."_

She grunted. _"Funny you should say that. My mother said the same thing to me once."_

_"Why did you lie to me about the rape?"_

Joss remained silent for a few minutes.

_"I thought that I could protect you, Taylor, my family and friends from the onslaught of news that would follow."_

_"Are you sure about that?"_ he asked as he sat up and leaned his back against the headboard.

She rolled over onto her back and looked up at him. _"You don't believe me?"_

_"I'm trying…but I feel that there's more to why you lied than what you're saying."_

Joss lifted herself up and looked at him. _"And what in the hell would that be?"_

_"I think you were protecting yourself more than anything. Which is fine, but you cannot hide behind it with lies."_

_"Dammit John!"_ she shouted pounding the bed with her fist. _"I told you what happened that night!"_

He got up from the bed, walked over near the window and leaned his back against the wall staring at her.

"You lied to me about everything! Everything you did in that room after he raped you!"He shouted through clenched teeth.

Joss walked over and stood in front of him.

_"I lied to you because I love you! Don't you understand that John? I didn't want this to destroy you inside!"_

_"And you_ _don't think that finding out this way doesn't hurt more? You don't think that it ripped my heart apart when Elias said that he is the father of our babies? You saw the video! Not that you needed to...Hell, you were there Joss! He fucked you and you didn't think it was necessary to press charges against the bastard! Why g'dammit!?"_

_"He lied John!"_ she screamed. _"He lied!"_

_"About what dammit?! Lied about what? the rape? the babies? What Joss?!" _he shouted as he grabbed her arms and pulled her up to him.

He released her arms and stepped back. The two of them went to the neutral corners of their minds and turned away from each other, trying to calm down.

_"I tried to forget what he said to me that night in the cabin. On the plane trip from Paris…I tried again to forget what I saw. My heart tells me that I am the father, but my mind tells me something else. Move the doubt for me Joss…"_

He walked past her toward the doorway of the room. John turned and spoke again, his voice calm and collected, but with a tone of conclusion.

_"I would like to think that I am a reasonable man. You've made it very hard for me to trust anything you say anymore. I love you Joss, but I can't be here right now. I think we need some time away from each other. I love you and the babies more than life itself. Give me time to accept what has happened, that's all I'm asking you to do…give me some time." _

Joss didn't turn around and look at him, if she had, he would have seen the tears rolling down her face. John walked out of the room and left the bunker that evening. She knew that he'd need some time, and she was willing to give him all the time he needed.

The third week of December had already started with a bang. John opted to stay at his old abode indefinitely. He needed time alone for awhile. Finch tried to talk to him, but had no luck. Wednesday, December eighteenth was appointment day, and Joss was in no mood to be poked, squeezed and weighed. She was now in her thirteenth week of pregnancy and feeling every pound.

After the ultrasound, Dr. Tanaka asked if he could speak to her about something that he felt was urgent and questionable. He waited for her to get dressed and meet him in his office. Joss walked across the hallway and stood at the door.

_"Come in Jocelyn"_, he said, waving his hand forward.

She entered and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

_"Wow…this must be serious. I feel like I'm in an interrogation room being charged for a crime I didn't commit."_ Joss said with a smirk on her face.

He didn't quite know how to begin the conversation, but it was necessary. _"How's John?"_ he asked as he reared back in his chair, gnawing on the end of his glasses.

_"What?...Fine, I guess…Why?" _she responded, feeling a bit confused at why he'd be asking about John.

Dr. Tanaka got up, walked over and shut the door. He stood in silence for a few seconds before saying anything.

_"John dropped by my office yesterday and posed some very interesting questions. Normally, both parents are together when they meet with me, and the questions they ask benefit them both. Jocelyn… Do you remember when I asked you about the tearing inside the walls of your vagina? You told me that you and John got a little carried away in bed that night. My question is this…Why didn't you tell me that you'd been raped? If it isn't reported as such, then I have no reason to believe otherwise. The bruises on your body. The black eye. You said it was from being roughed up while tackling a criminal. You never said anything about it being rape…As your doctor, and out of concern for you and the babies you're carrying…Why did you lie about the rape?"_

_"What did he ask you?" _she asked, completely ignoring his question.

_"Jocelyn…Why? Why didn't you tell me that you'd been raped?"_

_"Denial. To save face. Afraid to add insult to injury…I don't know why alright! What did John want?"_

Dr. Tanaka sat on top of his desk facing her. He looked as disappointed in her as John did.

_"He wanted to know if I could pinpoint the actual date of conception of the babies."_

_"And…What did you tell him?"_

_"Without your permission…nothing. All I could tell him was the expected due date of delivery…early June of next year."_

_"I'm sorry Dr. Tanaka. John and I are trying to work through this. I didn't know he'd go this far."_

_"What's going on Jocelyn? Why didn't you tell him about the rape? He had a right to know don't you think? Especially with you being in this condition."_

_"So, what you're saying is that he don't think that he is the father?" _

_"From what I could gather…he's confused as hell right now. Only you can fix this dear."_

_"I want you to do a blood test on both of us"_, she said as she stood in front of his desk. _"Is that possible?"_

_"Jocelyn?"_

_"Please…I need for you to do this. I know in my heart that John is the father, but…I've given him reason to think otherwise, so please…can you help us? A paternity test is what we need to put this whole thing to rest."_

_"I suppose…Look…there's a new way to perform the test that is non-invasive. I'll need a blood sample from you, and a swab from John."_

_"Don't you already have samples of my blood? Can't you use that?"_

_"Probably, but I'd rather get a fresh sample so that I can send both to the DNA lab to be tested at the same time. He gave me a number where I could reach him. I should have no problem asking him to come in and and give a sample."_

_"Well…can you take the blood sample from me now?"_

_"Sure"_ he said, directing her back into the exam room.

Dr. Tanaka prepared her for the blood test, took a sample and had the nurse tag and store it until he could get a swab sample from John. He wanted both tests sent over to the DNA lab at the same time. After the blood test he told her that the results would be ready when she return on January eighth for her next appointment. But before he'd let her go, Dr. Tanaka had something more to say to her. He didn't ask to be brought into the fray of the situation, but since he'd been unwillingly invited, he felt he had the right to say something, whether she liked it or not.

Just as Joss was about to walk out, he grabbed her by the arm and shut the door again. This was the first time she'd ever stared directly into his eyes. He spoke in a whispered tone, not as her doctor, but as a person who seemed genuinely concerned. As someone who'd assisted his father in delivering her first child. As someone who thought that he knew her as a patient, a mother, a cop.

_"I thought you were better than this Jocelyn. I'm not speaking to you as your doctor right now, but as someone who cares and don't want to see things go from bad to worse. I could only imagine how I'd feel if I was in John's shoes right now. I'd be pissed as hell too. These tests will no doubt prove who the father of those babies growing inside of you are, but it will not erase the issue of rape. This is as far as I can go to help the two of you. I'm sorry, but as a doctor who've seen more cases of rape with female patients than I care to, you should have followed your own rules of law enforcement and reported it."_

Joss glared angrily at him. He was telling her the truth but she didn't feel that it was his place to do so. He stepped aside and she opened the door. Joss paused for a second, turned around and came face-to-face with him again.

_"I'm only going to say this to you once. I won't tell you how to do your job, so don't you ever try to tell me how to do mine. You're my doctor…nothing more."_

Joss left his office feeling pissed at John and Dr. Tanaka. She couldn't believe that John would go behind her back like that, and not tell her what he was doing, but then again, when she thought about his technique, she had to admit that _payback was a bitch!_

December twenty-first was already upon them, and they had only three days to finish decorating the bunker before Christmas. Joss mother and friend Carolyn would be arriving Monday. John arrived at the bunker around eight that morning to pick up Taylor. He'd promised him that they would go shopping for a Christmas tree together. Joss had already picked up the three sixty inch wreaths for each entry and exit door of the bunker. All that was needed now was the beautiful eight foot tree.

John waited in the living room for Taylor, who was still upstairs dressing. He tried not to stare at Joss who was standing in the kitchen, but he couldn't help it. She looked so beautiful in the Emerald green maternity blouse, black legging styled jeans and black boots. She had her hair partially swept back into a ponytail while the back portion of her hair draped down the center of her back.

Joss turned and walked over to the table. She looked into the living room directly at him, and their eyes locked. He wanted to run up to her and kiss her, and if her thoughts were known, she would let him. But they opted to remain silent, not even a simple nod from either of them. Almost feeling relieved when Taylor ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, they both turned away from eah other.

_"We should be back in a couple of hours mom"_, he said as he kissed her on the cheek and ran out the door ahead of John. Before walking out, he turned and looked back at her once more. Bear had already hopped into the Hummer and made his way to the back seat.

_"He'll come around"_, she said sitting at the table sipping her coffee and thumbing through the magazine. This was one time she was prepared to give John all the time he needed if it would help bring them closer together. On the drive to the farm, Taylor had a lot of questions and John prepared himself to answer them as best he could.

_"So…dad…what's going on between you and mom? I go away for a week and all hell breaks loose. What's up with that?"_ Taylor asked as he turned to face him.

"_It's nothing you should be worried about son. We're just working through a problem that has come back to haunt us. I'm sure we'll find a way to get through it." _

_"It must be pretty bad. You're not staying at the bunker right now…Why?"_

He thought he was prepared with answers, but Taylor was hammering him with some pretty complicated questions, especially since John was trying to maneuver his way around the rape issue. He couldn't handle finding out the truth about Joss being raped by Elias, and he knew that it would be devastating to Taylor if he found out.

_"Listen Taylor…there are times when bad situations happen in relationships that are bigger than we are. It requires a lot of attention, forgiveness, a lot of understanding, patience and trust. Right now…your mother and I are trying to give each other a little space to work through a problem. Being around each other would only make the situation worse, so it's best that we take a little time out to assess the issue. I know that it sounds complicated to you, but trust me, one day…when you're in a relationship of your own, you will better understand things." _

Taylor stared at him for about a minute, before responding in a nonchalant manner.

_"All right…I guess I can live with that. But!...You guys need to get it together, I'm running out of advice to give." _

The two of them looked at each other once more and laughed.

_"You can count on it. Let's go get this tree. We have a lot to do before your grandmother and Carolyn arrive."_

The two men engaged in other topics of conversation, laughing and talking like best friends. Meanwhile, Detective Fusco and Finch arrived at the JFK airport to receive the body of Officer O'Connor. Finch wanted to be there especially since he felt guilty for getting her involved in the rescue operation, and she lost her life as a result. An hour later, Finch called Joss and told her that Officer O'Connor was now at the funeral home. He discussed the ceremony that the New York Police Department would be giving in her honor.

Joss was already watching the breaking news story on TV, and crying as she tried to cope with the death of someone she knew and admired greatly. It was almost two in the afternoon and very beautiful outside. Joss got dressed in warm clothes and left the bunker. She needed to get away to clear her mind.

She went from one department store to the other, buying gifts and decorations for the holiday festivities. She stopped at a little coffee shop and sat down at a small table for two, staring out at the beautiful holiday decorations, and thinking of Officer O'Connor. The Hazelnut latte and Danish roll was just what she needed. Joss felt so relaxed. Just as she was about to get up and leave, a female walked up to her table, holding the hand of a little boy.

_"Hi, my name is Judy Stevenson. I don't mean to bother you, but…don't I know you?"_ she asked curiously.

Joss looked up at the woman and smiled. She tweaked the little boys' cheeks.

_"Hi handsome"_, she said to him before answering the woman. _"I'm sorry but, I don't think we've met before, but I'm Joss…Jocelyn Carter."_

The little boy reached out his arms to her and she picked him up and sat him on her lap.

_"Mommy"_, he said, burying his little head in her chest. Joss patted his back and kissed his cheek.

_"Ahhhh…he's so handsome", _she said, looking up at the woman.

_"Yeah. I'm sorry about that, but…his mother died recently. My God…it's amazing. You look so much like her."_

_"I'm sorry", _she said in response to the news of the little boys' mother passing._ "If you don't mind my asking, how did she die?"_

Judy sat down in front of Joss and placed her purse on the table.

_"She was a police officer. From what we were told, my sister and Detective Fusco was on a stake out over in Paris France. We were told that some crazed man shot and killed her. The little guy you're holding right now…that's her son, Johnny. I'm sorry if I keep staring so much, but I can't get over how much you look like her."_

Joss was in shock. She held the little boy even tighter, her eyes filled with tears.

_"I'm sorry Ms. Carter. I shouldn't have…"_

_"No…It's me who should be sorry. I worked with Officer O'Connor. She and I were always teased for how much we looked alike. I'm the one who should be sorry. I was suppose to be the one in Paris, but I couldn't go. Please…let me apologize. I am truly sorry."_ Joss said as she grabbed Judy's hand and squeezed it tight.

_"My sister kept a photo album and have many pictures of the two of you working and hanging out together. That's why I thought I recognized you and came over. If you want to pay your respect, I'm on my way to the funeral home now. Mother and other family members are waiting for me and Johnny to arrive. The only people allowed in today are family members. I'll let them know about you when we get there." _

Joss looked at her watch, it was almost five o'clock. She'd done all of the shopping she wanted to do for the day, and had nothing but time on her hands.

_"I'm sorry but, did your sister live here instead of the city?"_

_"Yeah, she loved this area. She used to say that living in the heart of New York city was like being on an out-of-control rollercoaster ride. She tried to live there a few years ago, but moved back down here where it's more laid back and quiet. My mother thought it would be best to have the funeral here where all of her family and friends are. When the body arrived at the airport, they called to tell her and she requested that they bring her body here, instead of the funeral home in the city. It'll only take about twenty minutes for us to get there. You can follow me if you like."_

Joss agreed, and Judy took the little boy into her arms. He'd fallen asleep. She got into her car and followed Judy to the funeral home. They parked next to each other and Judy walked over to her.

_"I'll wait for you out here." _Joss said to her.

Judy went inside holding Johnny in her arms. One of the other female family members took him and sat down near the back of the room. Judy told them about Joss, and warned them that she looked a lot like Barbara. Many of the family members braced themselves and waited as Judy went to the door and waved her hand for Joss to come inside.

Joss walked in to stares and gazes. Some even stood with their mouths wide open and eyes stretched wide. Once the shock subsided, she was greeted with welcomed hugs and smiles. A funeral attendant dressed in a black suit and wearing snow white gloves, walked up to Joss and escorted her to a back room. The heavenly music was somewhat soothing but sad.

She looked over near the wall and saw the open casket, surrounded by bouquets of flowers and sympathy cards. Joss walked up to it and felt paralyzed as she stared down at her friend and fellow officer. She could feel her legs weakening as she eased down toward the floor, crying and holding her hand over her mouth. The attendant walked over to Joss and eased her up, holding her waist supportively as he led her out of the room.

Everyone turned and looked at her and could see the hurt and pain in her eyes as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. Judy and other family members ran up to Joss, hugging her and telling her that everything would be alright. It took about thirty minutes for her to calm down and relax. When they realized that Joss was pregnant, they made sure that she would be fine before leaving and trying to drive home. Later, her and Judy exchanged phone numbers and promised to keep in touch.

It was almost seven o'clock when she arrived back at the bunker. Joss parked the car in the garage and could see that John and Taylor had made it back home with the tree. There were a few pine needles scattered throughout the garage with a trail leading to the living room. When she walked in, the men had already set up the tree, all they had to do was decorate it, and since it was still early, Taylor suggested they go ahead and decorate the tree now. John looked over at Joss and nodded his head. _"Why not"_, he said. But she was in no mood. After viewing Officer O'Connor's body, and discovering that she had a four-year-old son, she was in no mood to do anything.

_"You two go ahead…"_ she said as she turned to go upstairs to the bedroom.

_"But Mom…"_ Taylor retorted. _"Come on…"_

_"Taylor! Dammit!...Not now!…Please…not now."_ she shouted.

John looked over at Taylor who looked as if he'd just been shot. _"Give us a minute"_, he said. He went upstairs behind her and followed her into the bedroom.

_"What's wrong with you Joss?" _he asked.

_"Not now John…!",_ she said, walking past him removing her coat and shoes.

John walked over to where she was standing in front of the closet. He grabbed her arm and pulled her over to the bed.

_"Sit down! I want to know what in the hell is wrong with you!" _

She glared up at him. This was definitely not a good time for her to talk. She didn't feel like talking to anyone. Joss lowered her head and sobbed. Thinking that he'd upset her, John knelt down and embraced her. _"I'm sorry babe…" _he said as he tried to calm her down.

Joss whispered in his ear. _"She has a four year old son."_

John pushed away and looked at her in confusion. _"Who?"_ he asked.

_"Officer O'Connor. She has a four year old son. His name is Johnny."_

John slowly got up from the floor. He ran his hands through his hair and paced back and forth in front of her.

_"How do you know all of this?"_ he asked.

_"I met her sister in town a few hours ago. We talked for a while, and she asked if I would like to go view the body with her. Officer O'Connor lived in this area John. Her body is lying in state at the funeral home in this small little town. God John...her little boy called me "mommy. I wish we could do something to help."_

John walked back over to her and sat down on the bed beside her. He held Joss in his arms and apologized over and over again.

_"I'll get Finch on it. We will make sure that her son is well taken care of…don't you worry. Did she give you an address, phone number?"_

Joss reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. She handed it to John.

_"Judy Stevenson. I'll have Finch contact her after the funeral services." _

John got up and walked toward the door. He looked back at Joss. _"If you don't mind…I'd like to stay here with you and Taylor tonight."_

She glanced over at him, smiling in delight of him staying. Joss got up and walked up to him. She reached up and pulled his head down to meet her face. they almost devoured each other mouths, kissing passionately, wanting more.

_"I love you", _she said, smiling and showering him with loving pecks.

_"I love you more"_, he said, reciprocating her sweet pecks. "_Hey…let's go trim the tree_."

The two of them walked out of the room arm-in-arm, stopping halfway down the hall to kiss again. Once downstairs, Joss apologized to Taylor and told him about Officer O'Connor and the little boy she left behind. Like his mother, Taylor had a heart of gold. His eyes were teary and he was ready to do something to help Johnny immediately. When they explained how they would be able to help the little boy, Taylor understood and hugged his mother and John a little tighter, realizing how quickly it could all end, and how blessed he felt to have two people in his life right now.

John and Taylor went up into the attic and gathered all of the Christmas decorations for the tree. Since Joss couldn't do much lifting or reaching up high, the two men used a ladder to reach the top of the tall eight foot tree. By the time they'd finished, it was picture perfect.

She chose gold and silver decorations with bright white lights. A big beautiful gold bow draped from the top to the bottom. The tree skirt was a mixture of silver and gold. Silver and gold were her chosen colors themed throughout the bunker. There was a peaceful, illuminating glow radiating form several rooms.

Both John and Taylor were amazed at the beauty of how she'd chosen to decorate the bunker, inside and out. When they turned the lights off to see what it would look like, it appeared as if magic had entered the room. Even Bear stood in front of the tree and marveled at its beauty, moving his head from side to side as if trying to figure out the humongous creature in front of him.

John and Taylor finished decorating the outside doors of the bunker with the sixty inch wreaths, decorated with gold and silver ornaments and lights, while Joss prepared hot chocolate, a pot of coffee and turkey on rye sandwiches for everyone. The three of them enjoyed a few Christmas specials on TV.

Later that night, around one in the morning, the two of them were lying in bed wide awake. John leaned up on his shoulder and rubbed her belly, leaning down to kiss it from time-to-time. She wanted to make love, but he seemed to be shying away from sexual intimacy.

_"Are you afraid to make love to me?"_ she asked.

_"No, of course not", _he said, looking up at her after planting more kisses on her stomach.

Joss rolled over on top of him. She was not about to wait any longer for John to make the first move. She needed him, wanted to make love to him, desired to feel him inside of her. Her wanting desire was greater than he could imagine. She devoured his lips into her mouth, kissing him wildly and rubbing her hands over his penis. She could feel his shaft growing harder and harder as she took it into her hand and began to pump it.

John squirmed from the touch of her soft warm hands wrapped tightly around his cock. Her juices were flowing and her nipples hardened beneath the satin gown. She pulled at his satin black pajamas trying to remove them. Joss straddled his body, grabbed her gown, pulled it up over her head and threw it to the floor.

He fought his urges, desires, and needs. He wanted her too, kissing and sucking her breasts, cupping them in his hands. His hard cock fully erected, protruding against his satin pajamas. He wanted her, licking and sucking her neck as she reared her head back, her hair dangling, sweeping erotically across his hand and arm.

_"Please John…please…I need you. I need you now."_

She leaned forward and buried his face between her voluptuous breasts as locks of curls fell around her face.

_"I need you now"_, she whimpered almost pleading for him to make love to her.

John moaned as her nails groped his body. But he could not get the images of Elias raping her out of his head. Joss continued to ravish his body with her tongue and mouth, kissing him, grinding her naked body against his. But John couldn't do it. He could not make love to her. The images had consumed his thoughts. He jumped up, gently pushed her aside and sat on the end of the bed running his hands through his hair.

_"John…!"_ she shouted. _"Don't do this…I need you…"_

_"Joss, please…I can't."_

John grabbed his robe and walked out of the bedroom, leaving her sitting in the center of the bed with tear filled eyes. Her nude body fell back onto the bed. Joss stared at the door, her mind blank and numb, wondering what she'd did wrong. Wondering if he'd ever feel the same toward her after seeing Elias rape her. She knew that this would happen if he found out about the rape. Her worst fears were being played out in front of her. She slowly pulled the satin sheets up to her chin, covering her shivering naked body, feeling ashamed and rejected. She screamed, pounding his pillow with her fists, shaking her head her hair masking her face.

For the remainder of the night, Joss tossed and turned, occasionally sitting up on the side of the bed, walking over to the window and staring out into the night. It wasn't until she awoke around nine o'clock, she realized that John had been in the room, changed and left without trying to wake her. Joss got up, grabbed her robe and hurried downstairs. When she reached the kitchen, Taylor was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal and texting a friend on his cell phone, while Bear, as usual, devoured his food and water with accurate speed, making sure to lap up any that fell to the floor.

_"Wow…mom, you look like crap",_ he said as he smiled and winked at her.

Joss looked over her shoulder at him. _"Yeah…well…I'm in my forties and pregnant…what's your excuse?"_ she said, smiling at her son.

She poured a glass of juice and sat down at the table. _"Where's John?"_ she asked.

_"I don't know mom. When I got up this morning around eight, he was already gone. FYI…don't go into the library, something tells me he blew off a little steam in that room. What's wrong? I thought you two made up last night."_

_"Yeah…that's us…make up to break up…"_

Taylor couldn't resist...he finished the sentence by singing the words to the once famous love song.

_"…Break up to make up, that's all we do. First you love me…then you hate me…that's a game for fools…."_

The two of them laughed at the notion of how the song still applies to people lives today. She got up and walked past her son, gently pushing his head down and planting a kiss on his cheek.

_"Mom…are the two of you going to be alright?"_ he asked with a more serious tone.

_"Don't you worry about us baby…we're going to be just fine. John wanted normalcy…well…this is about as normal as one can get. I'm not so sure he bargained for the ups and downs of_ _being in a relationship, that's all Taylor, but we'll muddle through."_

Joss went upstairs to shower and get dressed. She thought about the funeral services that were being held today for Officer O'Connor. She lowered her head and let the hot water run down her back. She said a silent prayer in memory of her friend and fellow officer. Joss couldn't stop thinking of Barbara's son and how sad he seemed when she had to leave them that day at the funeral home. He'd ran up to her and held her hand. She wanted to scoop him up into her arms and bring him home with her.

Tomorrow, her mother and Carolyn would be rolling in bright and early. They had a lot of grocery shopping and cooking to do before Christmas day. But there would be one other thing she'd have to do, and it was weighing heavy on her mind. Christmas dinner and guests. Joss didn't know how she was going to tell Carolyn that Fusco had a love interest in his life now, and that his new lady friend would probably be attending Christmas dinner with him.

Joss knew she'd have to tell her though. All Carolyn called and talked about days after Thanksgiving was Detective Fusco and what she'd like to do to him if she could get him alone in bed. _Carolyn was definitely no saint, no matter how often she shouted out the Lord's name in church. _Joss giggled at the thought. After breakfast, Taylor took Bear for a walk, then headed to the city to do a little shopping of his own. While Joss spent part of the morning in the library sitting behind the desk working on the grocery list for Christmas dinner.

John called six times apologizing for last night, but she didn't want to talk to him. It was his idea to stay with them last night. She was more than willing to give him all the time he'd need to learn to live with what Elias did to her, but she was not going to put up with his insecurities in bed.

Meanwhile back at the Library… Finch, John and Detective Fusco had just returned from attending funeral services for Officer O'Connor. John and Harold watched from a few feet away. There were more than enough FBI and CIA Agents swarming the place for them to know that it probably wouldn't be safe to be in plain sight.

Later, the three men met back at the Library and discussed what they could do to help her son. They all agreed upon a trust fund to make sure her son would be well taken care of. After Detective Fusco left the Library, John and Finch engaged in personal conversation.

_"I've been meaning to ask John, how are Joss and the babies doing?"_

John leaned back in the chair and prepared himself for a round of questions, and perhaps a long drawn out sililoquy on the do's and dont's of solving relationship issues. _"Fine, I guess", _he responded with some hesitation.

_"Care to talk about it?" _Finch asked. _"I know you've been sleeping at the loft lately John. I passed by there a few nights ago and saw the Hummer parked in front. What's going on?"_

_"It's nothing Harold. Don't worry about it. We'll work through it. Just need a little time."_

_"If I was a betting man John…I'd put my money on self-absorbed insecurities as a result of the rape." _

John leaned forward and stared at Finch. _"What did you say?"_ he asked.

_"You heard me"_. Finch said, maintaining a strong stance to try to get John to let go of his inhibitions.

_"How long have you known about this Harold?"_ he asked.

_"Before Paris. I've known for quite some time John."_

_"Did you talk to her about this?"_

_"Yes, I did."_

_"Yet you said nothing to me about it. You knew that bastard raped her and you said nothing to me!"_

_"You and Agent Shaw were in California John. My intentions were to tell you when you returned, but by then the news of her pregnancy overshadowed everything."_

_"Why did she feel the need to lie about the rape Harold? How can I forgive her for the lie she told?"_

_"That night at the bunker, after you and Agent Shaw wrapped of the child kidnapping case, Joss and I had a long talk. She was thinking of you, Taylor and her mom. She did not want you to find out what really happened. In her own way…I guess she thought that she was protecting those she love dearly."_

_"Protecting us? How? I did find out the truth…but not from her."_

_"So you're going to throw away everything because she chose to shield you from the pain of knowing that Elias raped her. Think of what she took onto herself to keep you from hurting John!"_

_"I never told her too!" _he shouted, pacing back and forth._ "I never told her to shield me from anything! Don't you get it Harold? I'm suppose to protect her! I'm suppose to keep her safe from harm!"_

John paced back and forth, back and forth. He was angry as hell.

_"I love her Harold. I love her more than she could ever imagine, but I cannot keep finding things out about her after the fact. We are about to bring two babies into the world. And_ _now… she wants me to pretend that the rape never happened. She wants me to make love to her. Pretend that nothing ever happened."_

_"What of you afraid of John?_

_"How am I suppose to do that Harold? How can I forget what I saw happening on that video?"_ he asked.

_"I wish I could tell you but I can't. What I can tell you is this… I know that the two of you love each other dearly, and what you and Joss have been given a chance at... is real love, normalcy, a chance to love and adore the babies the two of you created together. You will not get a chance like this again John. I don't believe for one moment that those babies belong to Elias. Don't throw away what you have with her. Never I have seen two people, so in love with each other, who deserve this moment in life."_

_"I hear what you're saying, but…why can't she let me protect her?" _

_"Joss has been alone for a long time John. Just her and Taylor. She learned to protect those she love long before you entered into her world. You can't expect her to do things differently because you're in her life. You've got to find a way to let go of your inhibitions John, and __**let **__her know that you want to protect her from now on, not the other way around."_

Finch squeezed his shoulder in confirmation. John patted his hand and stood up. He walked toward the door, looked back and thanked Finch for his advice, promising to make things right between him and Joss.

_"Go home John."_

_"I will. I just need to find a way to let it go. I promise, I'll go home soon."_

_"Alright…but I'm going to hold you to that promise."_

John left and went back to his loft. He needed more time to think things through.

Monday, December twenty-third, Joss waited patiently for Carolyn and her mother to arrive at the bunker. Finch felt that it was safe enough for them to have access to its location. It was already three-thirty and they promised they'd be there by three o'clock. She tried to calm down by clicking through channels looking for something to watch on TV.

It was three forty-five when her phone rang. She ran to the front door and looked out to see Carolyn and her mother at the gate, with Taylor behind them in his Jeep. Joss punched in the code and the two vehicles entered the garage. She could hardly wait for them to come up to the second floor. After hugs, kisses and a tour of the Christmas decorations around the bunker, the ladies and Taylor sat around talking and laughing. Taylor soon grew tired of the chit chat and went outside with Bear.

_"Where's John dear? Working on another one of those spy cases?"_ her mother asked and answered at the same time.

_"Better yet…Where's my boo, Lionel?" _Carolyn asked.

Joss glanced over at Carolyn and couldn't stop laughing. She knew that now was just as good a time as ever to tell her.

_"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait…a…minute you two. I can only answer one at a time. Ok…ma…you asked and_ _answered your own question. And…as for you…Miss Carolyn…I hate to say what I'm about to say…but…"_

_"But?...But what? You better not tell me that some heifer is with my man!"_

_"Ok…then I won't tell you that some heifer is definitely with your "alleged" man."_ Joss said as she laughed at the expression on Carolyn's face.

_"Ahhh hell…I really liked him too. Hey…wait a minute…what about that little tiny dude…?"_

_"Leon?"_ Joss asked frowning in disagreement.

_"Yeah…Deon…!"_

_"Leon…L - eon, Carolyn…with and "L". And for your information he has a thing for Zoe Morgan."_

_"That skinny heifer that was hanging all over the other skinny heifer? He's got a thing for her?"_

_"Yep…that skinny heifer…and yep, her and Agent Shaw are lovers."_

_"Alright then! I have nothing to worry about. I bet I'll make him mine before we leave for Connecticut."_

_"Ok...Bet!"_ Joss said. _"What's the wager?"_

_"If I snag him... you will have to clean up the kitchen alone after Christmas dinner. If I don't…then I'll clean up the kitchen."_

Joss mother looked over at Carolyn and shook her head. _"Are you serious Cal?"_ she asked, calling her by the shorter version of her name.

_"Excuse my French but…damn straight I'm serious. And I intend to win too. There's not a man I don't go after, I don't get."_

Joss and her mother looked at each other and started laughing. _"Oh really…!"_ the two of them said at about the same time.

_"How quickly we forget."_ Joss said.

_"What?...Forget what Jocelyn?"_

_"Fusco…Thanksgiving… Strike one…"_ Joss said holding up three fingers to indicate the three things she was pointing out to Carolyn.

_"Oh... that don't count"_, she said. _"I never liked him anyway."_

Carolyn was quite the comedienne. She was a laugh a minute throughout the day. The three of them gathered up their purses and grocery lists, and headed for the garage. On the way out, Joss told Taylor that they would be back soon. He waved at the ladies as they drove away from the bunker.

Meanwhile… back at the Library, the next number had John and Shaw on a flight to Hawaii. The serial killer rapist they'd been tracking a year ago, suddenly popped back up on the radar in Honolulu, after six women were found gagged, raped and murdered in their homes. His MO fit the crimes he'd committed in New York one year ago. With no time to lose, John and Shaw was headed to Hawaii to track the sadistic killer, and do whatever they would need to do to prevent him from raping and killing more women.

Vinson Lawman was a thirty-two year old delivery driver from Brooklyn New York. He'd become a person of interest after his live-in girlfriend was reported missing two years ago, but police didn't have enough evidence to charge him with her disappearance. One year later, three women were found gagged, raped and murdered in their homes. One in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and the latest in recovered strong evidence that linked Lawman to the gruesome murders, but by then, he'd fled to Hawaii, living under the radar under an assumed name. Four months ago, he started using his birth name, placing him back onto the radar screen.

A week ago Finch received a phone call asking for his help in tracking Lawman. Fear had doubled and Lawman was able to strike at will but remain off the radar making it very difficult for law enforcement to track and capture him. Finch weren't sure how long John and Shaw would be in Hawaii, but he was pretty sure that they would not be back until after the holidays. Telling Joss was not going to be easy.

Meanwhile… Joss, her mother, and Carolyn had been cooking and preparing food for hours. The guest list was the same. Only people they know and trust would be invited. Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, she walked downstairs into the kitchen, poured a glass of juice and went into the library.

It was almost two in the morning and she could not sleep. Her mind was on John. She wanted him home with her, Taylor and Bear. She stared at her phone on the coffee table and was tempted to dial him up, but she couldn't.

It was around eight-thirty in the morning when Taylor walked down the stairs and heard music coming from the library. Thinking that it was John, he entered the room ready to needle him about his style of music. Joss was asleep in the recliner with a half empty glass of juice sitting on the table next to her. He gently tapped her on the sofa.

_"Mom!…Mom!_ he shouted in a soft tone. _"Did you stay down here all night?" _

Joss grunted, raised upward and rubbed her eyes. Once she was able to focus, she looked up at her son, batting her eyes to clear the view.

_"I'm…sorry Taylor…what did you…say?"_

He eased her up out of the chair, holding her by the arm.

_"Mom…you can't do this. Think of the babies. You need to lay down in bed and get some rest",_ he said, trying to get his mother to go upstairs and lay die for a while.

_"I'll be fine T. We've got a lot to do today. It's Christmas Eve and John will probably be home later tonight. Your grandma and Carolyn will be down soon", she said, scratching her head and rubbing her belly. "I just need a shower. I'll be fine."_

Taylor was worried about his mother and was hoping that her and John would work things out soon. Later during the day the ladies were back at it again, cooking and baking up a storm, making sure Christmas dinner would be just as great, if not greater than Thanksgiving.

Taylor's favorite part was getting to lick a variety of flavored icings from spoons and bowls when it came down to the desserts that they were preparing. He had now become their official taste-tester for the holidays, and he didn't mind it one bit.

Meanwhile… John and Shaw had checked into their hotel rooms in Honolulu. They were in the process of trying to locate their prime target, Vinson Lawman. After visiting several waterholes where he was often known to frequent, John and Shaw had no luck.

They called it a night and went back to the hotel, both going to their own rooms. It was around one in the morning and Shaw was standing in front of John's hotel room door. She was not sleepy and wanted to do a little brainstorming so they could get that bastard off the streets. She knocked on the door and waited.

As if he was expecting her, John opened the door, walked back toward the bed and sat down on the edge. He was still fully clothed, except for his shoes. He stretched one leg out on the bed and kept the other firmly planted on the floor.

_"You don't mind me dropping by like this do you?"_ she asked, plopping down next to him.

"No. I can't sleep either. But!... if you're looking for a quick roll in the hay... I'm afraid you've knock on the wrong door small fry." He stood up and walked over to the small bar set up in his room. He poured himself a drink and sat down at the table by the window.

"Thanks for offering me a drink John" she said walking over and fixing one for herself. He looked at her, smiled and raised the glass up as if saying, "_you're welcome". _Shaw sat down at the table across from him sipping from her glass.

_"So…where do we start with this bastard? It's as if he's vanished into thin air. Are you sure Finch sent us to the right place?"_

_"You doubt his validity?"_

_"Do you?"_

The two of them looked at each other, both gulping the liquor in their glasses and refilling. They talked until three in the morning. After having a little too much to drink, Shaw crashed on the bed, while John opted for the couch.

Christmas day arrived and the ladies, along with Taylor and Bear, were busy opening gifts. Carolyn, Taylor and his grandmother couldn't help but notice that Joss seemed despondent, and they knew why. Yesterday, she had been looking for John to come walking through the door all day and night. It was tearing her apart that he hadn't called or come home yet.

When Joss noticed that they were worrying over her and not enjoying the festivities of the day, she tried to cheer up and make the best of it. They exchanged gifts, drank cups of hot chocolate, coffee and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast together.

After breakfast and exchanging gifts, the ladies finished preparing a variety of foods for Christmas dinner, scheduled to begin at seven o'clock. Taylor had been tagged to set up the tables and bar, and arrange mistletoe throughout the bunker, a family tradition with the Carter family that dated back to when Joss was a small girl.

It was almost six o'clock when Finch arrived at the bunker. He wanted to get there before the other guests arrive, so that he could talk to Joss about the assignment John and Shaw was working on in Hawaii. He was sitting in the library talking with her mother when Joss walked in.

_"Excuse me mom, I need to talk to Harold for a minute",_ she said, squeezing her mom's hand as she walked out of the library.

Finch sat motionless in the recliner as Joss sat on the couch across from him.

_"Ok Harold...What's this about? You said that you had something to tell me."_

_"John's not coming."_ he said abruptly. Finch had already made up his mind that he was not going to beat around the bush. He'd just come out and say it and wait for the explosion afterwards.

Joss jumped up, shaking her head in disagreement, jumping to the wrong conclusion.

_"What?!...Harold, come on…you can't be serious. He can't be this upset with me…!"_

_"Wait Joss, please…give me a chance to finish. John and Agent Shaw are in Hawaii. Wait!..." _he shouted when he saw her mouth open._ "Let me finish… they are tracking a serial rapist and killer. So far, he's killed at least nine women. I received a call two days ago asking for my help in tracking this monster and bringing him to justice. As a result of accepting the assignment, I had to send John and Shaw to Hawaii immediately. I'm going to be honest with you Joss…I don't know how long it will take them to find this guy, but I'm sure they will, and when it's over, John will come home to you."_

Joss walked over to Harold, bent down and kissed him on his cheek. She said nothing in response to what he'd told her. She walked out of the library and re-joined her family, trying to forget that John would not be home for Christmas.

_"Is everything all right dear?"_ her mother asked.

Joss tried to smile through the heaviness of heartache. _"Yeah… everything's fine. Let's just have a good time…okay?"_

Everyone standing around her could see that things were not alright. They could see the despair in her eyes and on her face. When Taylor got a moment with her alone, he asked if John would be home for the Christmas dinner tonight. She had to tell him the truth and say _**no**_.

Meanwhile...Back in Hawaii…

John and Shaw had finally tracked down Vinson Lawman. They had been tracking him for almost four hours. So far, he seemed to be living a normal life, and even had a wife and son.

_"No wonder he's been able to stay under the radar. The fucker's got a family and living a fucking "Father Knows Best" kind of life",_ Shaw said, spying on Lawman with binoculars.

John glanced over at her wondering how someone so small could drop the F-bomb so easily and so frequent.

John and Shaw received an updated from Finch. According to the information the FBI sent to Finch, it's been a month since Lawman's last strike. They feel that according to Lawman's pattern, he's long overdo. They think that he could strike tonight or within a day or two.

_"So…we're stuck babysitting this piece of shit until he makes a move…is that it?"_ Shaw asked.

John glanced at her. _"That's it. we just have to make sure we keep him in sight…every minute of the day and night."_

Shaw pulled her phone from her pocket and tapped Zoe's number. She waited a few seconds, holding a finger up to John to be quiet.

_"Hey…sorry I won't be there tonight to enjoy the wonderful Christmas dinner Joss prepared"_

_"Tell her I said Happy Christmas…and save something for me…"_

_"Before you leave for the bunker, check the top drawer in the left corner of the dresser…"_

_"Yeah, I know…but I did…hope you like it." "What?..."_

_"Here?..._

_"Now?..."_

_"Ok!...Me too…"_

_"What?...I said it, just not the way you wanted me to…"_

_"Yeah, he's sitting right beside me._

_"No!…that's not why I didn't say it…"_

_"Hell no! I don't think he's even called her…."_

_"Ok, I'll try…"_

_"See you soon babe."_

John had almost turned completely around, staring at Shaw and smiling, while nibbling on the end of his shades. He'd just witnessed a noe-sided conversation between Shaw and Zoe, and would have given anything to hear what Zoe was saying, but... he took a little pleasure in filling in the missing dialogue.

_"What the hell are you looking at?"_ she asked. _"Did you call Joss?"_

_"I will…later."_

_"You're gonna' lose her. She's a very sexy, beautiful, woman. Pardon what I'm about to say, but I would have love to spend one night alone with her. And...of course, she could have any man she wants… for whatever reason... she chose you…I don't get it?"_

_"You never will. Look…he's on the move!"_ he said as he put his shades on and eased into the traffic, following Lawson to his next location.

It was almost two o'clock and hot as hell. Both were beginning to miss the knee-deep snow they'd be wading in if they were in New York.

_"Where is the bastard going?"_ Shaw asked as they followed him miles out of the city and onto an almost deserted highway where traffic was far and few in between.

_"Who knows, but we've got to stay on him. Maybe he's not going to wait until night to make his next move." _

They followed Lawman for miles before he parked in front of a beautiful island home near a beach, and went inside. John and Shaw sank back into their seats and prepared for the long wait.

Back at the bunker it was already nine-thirty at night and the dinner party was in high gear. By now, everyone knew that John and Shaw were not going to be able to be there. Detective Fusco had arrived, and as Joss expected, he'd brought his new lady friend with him. He introduced her to everyone as Karen Schwimmer. She was stunningly beautiful, with shoulder-length, curly black hair and hazel eyes, very sexy and voluptuous and a few inches taller than Fusco.

Carolyn was definitely not pleased. She'd tried her best to avoid making eye contact with Fusco and Karen from the moment they got there. With Shaw's absence, Leon was following Zoe around like a sick puppy dog in heat. No matter how often Carolyn tried to intervene and get him to notice her, she'd had no luck. Finally, she gave up and licked her wounds. She found solace in the corner of the living room sofa and did very little socializing for a while.

Throughout the night, everyone except Carolyn, seemed to be having a good time, even Joss, and if anyone should be moping around it should be her, but she wanted to enjoy the night with family and friends. Many were stealing pecks on the cheek each time they would get caught standing beneath the mistletoe.

Finch and Joss mother found refuge in the library, just as they'd done on Thanksgiving. The noise and chatter of people talking over themselves was more than they could endure. The two of them seemed to enjoy discussing history and other topics of interest that only they could find delight in discussing.

At one point Finch had even introduced her to his world of technology. The two of them walked down to the computer lab and he showed off his skills, which wasn't lost on her not one bit. She seemed intrigued and highly impressed.

Later, around eleven o'clock, Carolyn was standing near the window in the living room alone. She didn't hear Leon when he walked up behind her.

_"You look beautiful tonight Carolyn"_, he said, his hands behind his back.

Carolyn briefly closed her eyes and whispered to herself, moving her lips only, _"Thank you Lord"_. She turned and smiled at Leon. Carolyn was a beautiful young woman with black shoulder-length hair in a page-boy style. Her smile could melt an iceberg. Her melon-colored skintone was a product of a mixed marriage. Her father is white, her mother African-American. As an only child, she'd pretty much had it easy all her life, and now, at the age of thirty-three, she'd dated a few times, and was engaged once, but had never been married. She'd never had any kids of her own and hoped to one day find the right man who would give her that chance, at least before the age of forty-five.

She was a little overweight, approximately one-hundred sixty pounds. Some men might even say that she was voluptuous. Tonight, she was wearing a beautiful knee-length, red flare-tailed dress, that showed off her curvaceous figure. The sleeves were long and sheer, and the top portion of the dress matched the sleeves. She wore three-inch black pumps and black stud earrings. Carolyn was beautiful, even Fusco was eyeing her from time-to-time, trying to find a moment to inch closer to her but his date was clinging to him with the visual image of two love bugs.

Leon removed his hands from behind his back and was holding a small gift-wrapped box.

_"This is for you"_, he said as he placed it in her hand.

Carolyn thought otherwise, since he'd been chasing Zoe all night, but she wasn't about to turn the gift down.

_"Thank you"_, she said, smiling as she ripped the paper from the box, finally making her way to the small black velvet box beneath. She removed the lid and her eyes stretched wide. Inside was a beautiful diamond initial brooch. Now she knew it was for her. The brooch was in the shape of the letter **'C'**. She looked at Leon, who was smiling adoringly at her. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

_"Hey…don't cry"_ he said, wiping the single tear from her cheek with his finger. He took her hand in his and walked toward the center of the living room.

_"Come…dance with me."_

Leon placed an arm around her waist and held her hand tightly in his. They danced to the tune of **_"A Winter Romance"_**as guests looked on, smiling and cheering. Zoe was clapping louder than anyone. She was tired of Leon chasing behind her, particularly because she had no interest in him. The subtle look on Fusco's face wasn't what Joss expected to see among the smiling faces as she glanced back at everyone.

As midnight approached, and Leon danced the night away with Carolyn, guests had begun to leave the bunker. Not wanting to say goodnight and goodbye at the same time, Leon all but begged Carolyn to stay a few days in New York with him. Although tempted, she opted not to stay, but made sure that he had her home address and phone number before he left, and he assured her that he would be calling on her when she returned to Connecticut.

Finch left shortly after Leon. He assured Joss that as soon as the mission was over, he'd make sure that John would not be working for at least two weeks. There were issues at home that the two of them needed to work through, and he was going to make damn sure that they did.

Later that night, after all the guests had gone home, Taylor, her mother and Carolyn, who'd won the bet, all hope Joss to clean up the bunker. Not wanting her to be left trying to take down the decorations alone, they even stripped the tree and packed away all of the beautiful ornamental decorations that adorned it.

The women later placed left over food in trays and packages for Taylor to distribute to homeless shelters to help feed the hungry. There was so much food left, and Joss was not about to throw it away, when there were so many hungry people wanting and needing a good meal. With the exception of what she'd put away for John when he return home, everything else was packed in containers for the homeless.

The bunker was as spotless as ever before they all went upstairs to bed. It was around three in the morning when Joss finally fell asleep. She'd tossed and turned for almost an hour. The sound of her phone going off was definitely not welcomed. When she did manage to grab it from the nightstand, she answered with groggy caution, and definitely in an uninviting angry tone.

_"What?!"_ she shouted.

_"Ok…I deserve that. Sorry I missed Christmas babe. Can you forgive me?"_

Joss did not respond. She was pissed for two reasons. First... he didn't bother to call her at all on Christmas day, and second... he'd just aroused her from a hell of a good sleep.

_"I take it you're upset with me."_

Joss remained silent.

_"Jocelyn, come on babe... say something. Curse me out, yell at me, scream into the phone...anything. Just say something."_ John pleaded, but still got no response.

She remained silent through the call, even when he told her much he love her and said goodnight. Knowing that Joss was exhausted before going to bed, her mother and Carolyn decided to leave late in the afternoon so that they could sit with her a little longer. They wanted her to just rest and relax for as long as she needed. Besides, they wanted to spend a little more time with Taylor, since he would be leaving in two days. Joss finally got up around one o'clock. After showering and getting dressed, she walked downstairs to the kitchen, poured herself a cup of coffee, and joined everyone in the living room.

_"So…Carolyn. What's up with you and Leon?"_ Joss asked, smiling as she sat down on the couch next to Taylor.

_"Ooh girl, let me tell you 'bout Mr. Leon. Girl…he called me all night long after he left. I got him! He's hooked!"_

_"Come on Aunt Carolyn…after one night?"_ Taylor asked.

_"Of course… What? You don't think your aunt Carolyn got game?"_

Taylor rolled onto the floor laughing at what she'd said. Joss mother was walking out of the kitchen after cleaning the cup she'd drank coffee from earlier.

_"This might be your one true shot at happiness Cal…don't rush it. Joss dear, are you sure you're going to be all right?"_ she asked, walking up to her daughter and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Joss placed a hand on her mother's and squeezed tight. _"I'll be fine mom. Now that the holidays are over, I will be fine. Trust me…next year, we will be celebrating in Connecticut."_

Amid all of the hugs, kisses, tears and sad goodbyes, the two ladies left, headed back to Connecticut. For the next two days and nights, Joss and Taylor enjoyed the days they had left. Since Taylor opted to drive back to Virginia, he would be leaving out earlier than expected.

Saturday morning, December twenty-eight, Joss packed all kinds of treats and sandwiches for Taylor to take with him on the road trip back to the Academy. At six o'clock in the morning, she couldn't believe that she was saying goodbye to her son again. She was trying to keep a happy face going for a while when she hugged him. Even Bear got in on the hugs when Taylor knelt down and wrapped his arms around Bear, who'd now become his best friend.

She waved at her son from the front door of the bunker as he drove off. Once she'd closed the door behind her, Joss slid to the floor, clutching her stomach as she tried to fight back the tears. She hugged Bear as if he was going to leave her too.

Joss dried her tears and eased up from the floor. She walked around the living room and kitchen, trying to find something to do to take her mind off Taylor. She sat at the kitchen table and stared into the cup of coffee she'd poured to drink. It was so quiet in the bunker. Just a day ago, it was filled with laughter, voices chatting, music playing, bright festive lights, and now there was no sign that Christmas had been celebrated there last night. She was glad that Finch had hired a tree collector to pick up the tree. He'd scheduled a one o'clock pick up.

…Honolulu Hawaii…

John and Shaw had just wrapped up the case after catching Lawman as he entered the home of a young attorney he'd been stalking. Knowing that she would be his next target, John and Shaw managed to convince the young woman to let them into her home. Once inside, Shaw posed as the young lawyer, while John had police officials take the young attorney to a safe location.

John and Shaw were posing as FBI Agents tracking the serial rapist and killer from New York. With the help of Hawaii officials, they were able to arrest Lawman and charge him with several counts of rape and murder, after he tried to attack, rape and murder Agent Shaw.

According to Honolulu officials, Lawman unwittingly met his match when he tried to gag Shaw. In the end, he ended up gagged and badly beaten, screaming for the cops to help him instead. For such a small stature of a woman to take down a six foot, one-hundred eighty-five pound man, was the joke of the day around the Honolulu police department.

John and Shaw's flight was scheduled for ten o'clock the next day. After closing the case and handing it over to Honolulu officials to handle from their end, they crashed at the hotel that night. It was only eleven-thirty but neither wanted to do anything other than rest up for the long flight home.

They contacted Finch and filled him in on everything. John tried several times throughout the night to reach Joss, but had no luck. Like Joss, he tossed and turned for the remainder of the night, his mind deeply on her and how he'd behaved toward her when all she wanted and needed from him was his love. Finch was right... all he needed to focus on was what was in front of him now.

John arrived home around nine o'clock that night, December twenty-ninth. He entered the garage and didn't see her car. It was pitch dark inside the bunker. No lights were on anywhere. John turned the light on in the living room. He called out her name, but got no response.

He walked down the hallway leading to the library and turned the light on. there were no sign of her and Bear anywhere in the bunker. John removed his coat and threw it across the arm of the recliner. He walked up to the third floor to the bedroom area and turned the hallway light on. He knew then that she was not at home. At least he found some comfort in knowing that Bear was with her and would definitely protect her.

After taking a nice, long hot shower, John slipped into his favorite satin pajamas with the matching robe. He walked downstairs into the kitchen and poured a glass of Vodka. After heating up some of the Christmas dinner food that she'd neatly placed in containers, John sat at the table and enjoyed the meal with passion. Her mother was an incredibly talented cook.

He could taste her mothers pumpkin pie, hoping that Joss had saved him a slice or two. He searched the refirgerator and sure enough, there was an entire pie on the bottom rack. Her mother had even left a note taped to the cover on the pie. _"I love you John...sorry you missed the dinner. enjoy!"_

He prepared it with the cool whip topping and a dash of cinnamon just as Joss had taught him. He ate three slices before placing it back into the refrigerator. Sitting in the living room on the couch, John glanced up at the clock on the wall in the kitchen and it was almost midnight. He was worried, wondering where she could be. He tapped Joss number and waited for her to answer, but got no response. John called Finch and asked if he knew where she could be, but had no luck there either.

Now…with both of them worried, John got dressed and headed for the city. Finch had already left the Library and was riding around the city searching for her car. He called Fusco and told him that Joss was not at home when John got there earlier tonight, and still hadn't come home. Fusco left the Precinct and started searching areas nearby. With the investigation already underway, and HR men still searching for her, the three men were beside themselves with fear that she'd been kidnapped or worse. Finch was only ten minutes from driving by John's loft, when he spotted her car parked in front of the building. He tapped his earpiece and talked with both John and Fusco at the same time.

_"Found her"_, he said.

John yelled, _"Where?!..."_ while Fusco simply uttered, _"Thank God."_

_"What do you want me to do John? Do you want me to go up and talk to her?"_

_"No Finch…I'll handle it from here."_ John responded.

_"Listen guys, I was sort of in the middle of a phone call…you know what I mean? I'd like to get back to it."_ Fusco said disconnecting from the call.

_"John…tell me that's not love." _Finch said.

_"It's love Harold, and_ I've got to make things right. Just stay there until I get there. I'm about thirty minutes away. Please…just stay there."

The two men ended the call. Finch sat outside in his car, occasionally looking up at the window of the loft. He began to reflect on a special moment he once shared with Grace.

…1964 New York World's Fair…

_"It was 1964 and he'd met Grace during his sophomore year in college. His major study and interest was computer science and how much it could benefit the world one day. Grace was studying the Arts. He'd saved for a year to have enough money to show her a good time at what would later go down in history as the biggest world's fair to ever hit New York city. It represented many things for many people, but to Harold, it meant a new cultural wave, and the first glimpse into the world of technology. He knew then that he was falling in love with Grace. Thereafter, they spent many beautiful moments together, and promised each other that no matter what happened in the future, their love would be forever cemented in each other's hearts."_

Finch jumped when John tapped on his car window.

_"Thanks Harold. I got it from here"_, John said as he walked past the car and headed upstairs to the front door of the loft.

Once inside, John walked quietly to the bedroom. He eased the door open and Bear held his head up, alert and ready to attack. John quickly whispered _"rustig!"_ to him in Dutch, and Bear laid his head back down in total silence. He patted Bear on the back and whispered again, _"uit!"_ in Dutch, and Bear jumped from the bed and ran out of the bedroom. John followed him into the kitchen and living room area. He didn't want to frighten Joss, and knew that the best way to wake her was to call her phone. He tapped his ear piece and could hear the phone ringing from inside the room. Not knowing if she would answer this time, he waited impatiently.

_"Hello…"_ she said, her voice grainy and groggy.

_"Hi babe…are you awake?"_

_"John…? You sound so close…Where are you?"_ she asked, sitting up in bed.

_"Mind if I come into the bedroom?"_ he asked, standing near the closed door.

_"Are you kidding me? Don't play with me like this."_

John slowly opened the door to the bedroom and stood in the doorway. She jumped up and they ran toward each other, hugging and kissing as if they hadn't seen each other for months.

_"I love you so much…"_ he said through smothered kisses.

_"I'm so sorry for everything…"_ she responded.

He shut the door to the bedroom, leaving Bear in the living room to keep watch. It took less than five minutes for the two of them to strip naked. John was ready to make up for every moment he'd missed, and so was she. They were hungry with a ravishing, burning desire for each other.

The sound of lovemaking took enter stage that night. Her moans were overshadowed by his loud deep grunts as the overpowering flow of their juices met. The repeated sound of the bed thumping as it lifted from the floor like an Indian drumbeat. The squeaking sound of box springs echoing in rhythm with the movement of his body as he humped her mercilessly. Her shrilling screams as he shouted her name with passion and love each time he pumped his hard cock inside of her. They made love throughout the night and early morning hours.

After enjoying a wonderful moment of lovemaking in the loft, they parked her car in Finch garage and left Bear with him. They'd made plans to go away for two weeks. John had had enough of fighting crime for a while, and just wanted to spend some time alone with Joss. He felt bad about not being home for Christmas, and not being there to say goodbye to Taylor before he left for the Academy. They stopped by the bunker and packed for a two-week road trip vacation, stopping and sight-seeing in different locations along the way. Finch didn't ask where they were going, and they didn't say. He knew that the two of them needed this time to themselves.

**Episode 4: Going to the Chapel**

**A/N:** _I had to go back and make a few changes with the title of this Episode for Chapter 9. Sorry about that. I'm getting closer to the end of the enitre **"Love in Numbers"** story and realized that I needed to add a major event into John and Joss relationship._

As John and Joss take to the road to try to work through some issues brewing in their relationship, John realizes that it's now or never. The factors in their lives contribute to the next step he is about to take. No one will see this coming, but the time and location couldn't be any more perfect. When the two of them return to New York, they face new challenges, starting with the results of the DNA Lab Test, followed by two major court room dramas now scheduled to take place. The arraignment of Carl Elias, and the first trial involving the corruption within the Precinct and HR Police Departments.


	4. Episode 4: Going to the Chapel

**Chapter 9: Under New Management **

**Episode 4: Going to the Chapel**

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**A/N: ****_Change Alert: _**Episode 4: has been changed to **"****_Going to the Chapel_****"** instead of **"****_HRs Bridge is Falling Down_****"**. My intentions were to wait until the last chapter of the "**Love in Numbers**" love story between John Reese and Joss Carter, for a big event to happen, but for some reason the moment just seemed right. I thought about the factors of why this should happen now and not later, and decided to insert it now. Only a few chapters left before this story comes to an end. So, now is as good a time as any. You're all invited to attend this wedding! Bring your tissue and rice!

* * *

**Synopsis: **While John and Joss are vacationing on the road, she is unaware of the surprise that awaits her in Nevada. Meanwhile, an arraignment date has been set for Carl Elias, and a date has been scheduled for the trial of HRs crooked cops. Despite John's arguable opposition, Joss will have to appear in court for both cases. On a more happier note, John and Joss learn the sex of their babies and are already thinking of names. This Chapter contains_**explicit sexual content. For mature readers only**_.

* * *

**Excerpt: **_"John! Calm down… Everything is just as it should be. Everyone that we've contacted are ready for tomorrow_._" _

* * *

**Episode 4: Going to the Chapel**

On the fourth day of their road trip, Joss noticed that John seemed to be preoccupied with calling Finch. He'd called him four times since they arrived in Nevada, and that was while sitting in a restaurant eating dinner. She suspected the last call John received from Finch was not for her to hear. He returned to the table, sat down and stared at Joss, almost as if he was studying her. The smile on his face could only mean one of two things… she was in for a night of passionate lovemaking, or something big was about to happen.

_"Are you ready to go?"_ he asked, walking around to her chair and extending his hand.

_"Ok… what's going on John? You've been smiling since we got here",_ she said as he opened the door to the Hummer for her.

Once they were back on the road, John told her that they would be staying in Nevada for a few days. Joss had no idea that the conversations between the two men, held a surprise so emboldened it would leave her speechless. John pulled into the Tahoe Hotel around five that evening. Once inside, he inquired about the reservation for two that was booked in advance. The front desk clerk smiled and seemed exceptionally elated that they'd arrived.

_"Your room is ready for you sir. Please enjoy your stay. If there is anything… anything I can do for you, please let me know. Oh, and…Congratulations!"_ the young man said before handing John the key to their room.

Joss was beginning to feel a little suspicious and confused. _"Congratulations?"_ she inquired in her mind as they entered the elevator. The hotel bellhop had already retrieved their bags and was on his way up to the fifth floor of the hotel to their suite.

_"Congratulations?"_ she asked, looking at John with her head slanted.

_"Come on babe… you're pregnant. The guy was just acknowledging it." _

He was praying quietly to himself that she would not figure out what was really going on. Once they stepped off the elevator and opened the door to the suite, Joss was in awe of its magnificent beauty. It was absolutely breathtaking. She instantly fell in love with the spectacular view overlooking the majestic Tahoe mountains and beautiful serene lake.

The size of the suite was unbelievable, and the width of the extended king sized bed could easily sleep at least six people comfortably. But the real treasure trove of beauty was a few steps down into a sunken area where the bathroom was located. Hidden behind the frosted glass doors, what she saw seemed so unreal. Her mouth flew open and eyes stretched wide. In the center of the room, built into the floor, was a huge whirlpool bathtub. _"Built into the damn floor!"_ she uttered to herself, looking back at John who was smiling, knowing that she would love it.

He threw his coat onto the couch and sprawled out on the humongous bed, smiling and patting the spot next to him. _"Come here"_, he said, staring at her and nibbling his bottom lip. Joss slipped out of her boots and coat, and slid on the bed next to him, lying on her back. He bent down and seduced her lips with his tongue before devouring them in his mouth as he ran his hand beneath her sweater.

_"You like it?"_ he asked.

_"All depends on __**which**__ you're talking about… the room or the fondling."_

_"Both"_, he said, leaning forward to kiss her again. He was definitely arousing her sexually.

Joss eased up from the bed, leaning on her elbows. _"Whew",_ she said, fanning her face with her hand. _"We need to slow it down a bit. Besides, I'm really looking forward to a nice long soak in some soothing hot water." _She ran her fingers across his chin, got up from the bed and began removing her clothes, while John ran the bath water.

She slid the soft white robe over her naked body. John walked back into the bedroom wearing a robe. He'd undressed while he was in the bathroom. He pulled her close to him, ran his hands over her shoulders and slid the robe from her body, seducing her as he flicked his tongue up and down her neck, cupping her soft, round breasts in his hands, his hard cock pressing against her thighs. John was definitely in the mood to make love, and he was not shy in showing her just how much he wanted her.

He eased down into the steamy hot, bubbling water, lightly scented with soothing Neroli bath oil, and positioned himself onto the encircled, built-in padded bench. He extended his hand and guided her into the water. The heat felt so good and soothing as she eased her body down between his legs.

_"God… we could go swimming in this thing"_, she said, leaning her head back, her hair masking his chest.

The padded walls felt warm and comfortable against their backs. Beneath the bubbling water, he cupped her breasts into his hands, squeezing and flicking her nipples. She sucked in short breaths of air from the sensation running through her body as he seductively teased her neck with his tongue. Joss could feel his hard erection pressing against her body, gyrating and searching for an entry. Knowing what he wanted, she turned her body around and straddled her legs across his, easing down onto his hard cock. He'd firmly secured himself comfortably onto the bench, and access to what awaited was easy.

She laid her head on his shoulder, swallowing his hard thick shaft completely inside of her. He pumped, grunted, and moaned in satisfaction of how damn good it felt as she slowly eased up and down on his rock hard shaft. The moment was seductive, mesmerizing, filled with passion and an erotic crippling of his mind. He gazed into her eyes with each seducing stroke of confirmation that she was pleasing and fulfilling his every need, his every want, every desire. He slid his hands around her soft wet globes and gripped firmly, squeezing as his hands slid up and down her body in rhythm with her moves.

The mood was somber, quiet, intoxicating, the moment filled with passion. She surrendered completely to him, his tongue licking across her lips, nibbling, pulling, sucking as he pumped and thrust himself inside her faster, matching the swiftness of her body moving up and down, aroused by the sound of air being sucked into her lungs through clenched teeth. The seductive vibration of the water pulsating over their bodies, teased their sexual desires as they clawed each other's bodies, indulging in wet kisses. Her need to ride his rock hard shaft was possessing, fulfilling, unstoppable.

_"Mmmmm John"_ she whispered softly in his ear as he brought her to the highest peak of pleasure. _"Ohhhh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh…" _she moaned, clawing at his back, cupping his face in her hands and kissing him with fiery passion. _"Ah, ah, ah, ahhhhh… don't stop, don't… ahhhh… ahhhh… John!" _she screamed, wrapping her arms around his neck, her lips trembling from the passion released through her body.

He pumped harder… faster… trying to hold back the flow of hot semen ready to erupt. John wanted to satisfy her pleas, her needs, and wants as she begged him for more. He coaxed her body against the padded walls, her hands stretched out in front of her. He spread her legs apart and slid his hard cock in and out, humping her mercilessly, their wet bodies slapping against each other beneath the bubbling hot water.

_"Ohhh shit! ahh! ahhh! ahhhh! ahhhh!" _he shouted, his chest and head reared back as he pumped faster._ "ahhhhhhhh! shit, shit! shit! ahhhhhhh!"_ he yelled, grunting and moaning, his hands sliding and gripping her wet ass, both unable to hold back any longer as they released an eruption of juices giving way to a moment of numbing passion and ecstasy.

coming down from the crippling passion they'd unleashed, the two of them dried their wet bodies and continued beneath the warm cozy sheets. They were not done with each other. By nine o'clock, their exhausted bodies were hungry. They took a shower together to freshen up before going out to one of Tahoe's finest restaurants.

Joss looked so elegant and classy. They walked past tables, occasionally being stopped as women admired her beautiful lace dress, and men kissed her hand. The compliments were gracefully received as they made their way to the table reserved for them. John stood inches taller with pride as he nodded with approval, graciously accepting the respect and admiration being shown to Joss.

She was indeed stunning, dressed in an elegant lace, French blue knee-length evening dress, draped over a soft stretch French blue jersey lining. The elegant boat neck complimented the elbow length sleeves and flattering silver blue satin sash. With her hair swept up in a smooth, sleek chignon style globe, and a perfectly shaped silhouette bob in back, she was an exuberation of old hollywood style glamour. Once seated, John stared lovingly into her eyes, smiling and constantly leaning forward to kiss her tenderly.

_"I'm a lucky man"_, he said, gently running his fingers up and down her arm.

_"And I'm a lucky woman"_, she retorted.

After enjoying the lovely dinner, the two of them joined other couples on the dance floor, and lost themselves in each other's arms shutting out their surroundings with sweet loving kisses. The night was so beautiful and romantic they almost didn't want it to end.

Joss finally awoke to a beautiful Saturday morning. John was already up and dressed. He'd planned a day of sightseeing for them, but she was completely exhausted from a night of pleasure, dining and dancing. Sitting at the table in front of the window, he was thumbing through brochures, scoping all of the wonderful and fun things they could do together. He glanced over his shoulder at her, sitting on the side of the bed running her fingers through her hair. She spotted her robe, grabbed it and slipped it on over her naked body.

_"Are you sure you're awake babe?"_ he asked, grinning and feeling every bit the man, taking credit for her exhaustion and sluggishness.

Joss stood slowly trying to compose herself, unsuccessfully plopping back down on the bed.

_"Oh God… even my hair hurts"_, she said, trying to stand again and regain her composure.

She walked over to the table and stared down at the brochures he had aligned neatly for her to choose an adventure for the day.

_"Which adventure you'd like to do babe?"_ he asked. _"I've got a whole day planned for us to spend together. Are you ready to go?"_

Joss stared at him for a few seconds. _"John… please"_, she said as she turned and walked toward the bathroom.

He knew that she would be too exhausted to go anywhere. Everything was falling into place just as he hoped it would. John waited until the shower water was running and tapped Finch number.

_"She's completely exhausted", _he said to Finch. _"Are you sure Zoe is already in town?"_

_"She's been there since last night John. All you have to do is make sure the two ladies bump into each other in the lobby. I'm pretty sure Zoe will be able to entice her into spending an hour or two getting pampered at a spa from head to toe. After all, what woman wouldn't want to do __**that**__ instead of go hiking in the wilderness?"_

_"And what about the gowns? Did Zoe select enough for her to choose from? Remember… they need to be maternity gowns",_ John said nervously.

_"Taken care of. Just remember to leave the note on the bed. Zoe will stay with her tonight and make sure she arrives at the Chapel tomorrow by one o'clock."_ Finch responded.

_"The rings!" Did she bring the rings? Please tell me that she didn't forget to bring the rings with her!"_

_"You have got to calm down John. Everything is just as it should be. Everyone that we've contacted are ready for tomorrow. All you have to do is wait for Zoe to bring her to the Chapel." _

_"Harold…? Are you sure this will work? I mean, without her family and friends, she might not want to do this now."_

_"Of course it will work. If it'll make you feel better, when you and Joss return to New York, we'll plan a do over for family and friends. Now… Zoe has already checked into the same hotel. She will be sitting in the lobby waiting for you. Getting Joss to choose a day at the spa over a night sleeping out under the stars, I'd put my money on the spa thing. While the ladies are getting pampered at the spa, you need to find a Menswear clothing store and pick out a nice suit or tuxedo. And John… one other thing, any color other than black will be unacceptable."_

_"God Harold, you make it sound as if I don't know how to pick out a suit", _he said, sitting on the side of the bed putting on one shoe and searching for the other before noticing that it was already on his foot._ "Listen… Any chance you could hop on a plane and get here before tomorrow?" _

_"You'll be fine John"_, Finch said as he stood in front of the computer finalizing his flight to Nevada.

It was almost five o'clock and Zoe was sitting in the lobby where Finch said she'd be. John and Joss stepped out of the elevator right in eye view of Zoe, who pretended to be thumbing through a magazine.

_"John!"_ she shouted with a whisper. _"Is that who I think it is?"_

_"Zoe?_ _What are you doing here?" _John asked.

She hugged and greeted them excitedly. _"I come here often. It's the first place I think of when I really want to get away from New York and the stressfulness of my job. So… what are you two love birds doing here?"_

_"Taking a break from New York"_, they said at the same time. The ladies laughed and sat down next to each other.

_"Aren't you going to join us John?"_ Zoe asked, both looking up at him.

_"Well… Joss and I were planning to go hiking. You know, enjoy the great outdoors, run from a bear or two, possibly a mountain lion, sleep out under the stars later, and… eat fresh fish straight from the lake",_ he said, knowing Joss would rather go skinny dipping in an ice lake than do any of the things he'd just said.

_"Wow… sounds… interesting!"_ Zoe smiled half-heartedly. _"Here I am excited about going to the spa for a relaxing hour or two of pampering. Wow… running from bears and mountain lions, and sleeping under the stars huh. Cute John… real cute."_

Joss looked up at him, her eyes telling him that she'd rather spend the day with Zoe, relaxing and being pampered.

_"Against my better judgment, I think Joss would probably prefer to hang out at the spa with you… I guess."_ he said, rolling his eyes in the air.

_"You can still have a good time babe. Besides, I'm not exactly into bears and mountain lions… so, toodles." _Joss kissed him on the cheek and left with Zoe.

He tapped Finch number and told him how easy it was to get Joss to hang out at the spa with Zoe._ "It was a piece of cake Harold"_, he said, smiling and walking out of the hotel.

Three hours later, the two of them were done. Zoe chose a cute shoulder-length trim, while Joss opted for flat-ironed straightness all around. The same quick and simple style she'd chosen when she spent Christmas in Connecticut with her mother and Taylor. Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, the ladies stopped at a local restaurant and enjoyed a light dinner. When they arrived back at the hotel, Joss invited Zoe to come up to their hotel room and hang out with them.

Zoe couldn't have planned it better. She just hoped that John had remembered to complete his assigned task. Joss inserted the hotel key into the door and invited her in. They walked into the room laughing and talking. But she stopped abruptly causing Zoe to bump into her.

_"What is it Joss?"_ she asked. "_You act as if you've seen a ghost. What is it?" _

Joss pointed at the rack of wedding dresses over by the window. She turned and looked at Zoe, her hand cupped up to her mouth, trying to smother the need to scream.

_"Congratulations Joss!" _Zoe shouted as she grinned and led her by the arm over to the bed where John had left the note.

Joss picked it up, her hand trembling uncontrollably. Zoe eased the note from her hand and read it aloud.

_"My beautiful Jocelyn. I love you more than life itself. You're everything I could ever hope for, and the babies are the greatest gift you could ever give to me. The certainty of our love for each other is unbreakable. So, tonight… I ask for your hand in marriage. If you say "yes", I'll meet you at the Chapel one o'clock tomorrow. I'll be waiting. Love John."_

She stared at Zoe, her hand still cuffed over her mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks.

_"Okay… What's it going to be? Yes or No?"_ Zoe asked as she tapped John's number and handed her the phone.

John nervously paced back and forth, clutching his phone in his hand. It rang... he froze, but answered it nervously. Joss wiped the tears from her eyes while Zoe looked through the wedding gowns and dresses.

_"What did she say?"_ he asked amid a ten-second pause.

_"I said… __**Yes**__…! Yes, yes, yes!" _she shouted happily. _"Tommorrow John! We'll get married tomorrow!"_

After the call, Joss and Zoe spent almost two hours selecting the perfect wedding dress. They chose a floor-length satin organza gown, with a sheer flowing ruffled court train. The champagne-colored, sleeveless gown bore a sweetheart neckline, zippered back, and a dropped waistline, adorned with pearls and tiers of loose flowing ruffles. It was stunningly beautiful and classic.

They chose the perfect accessories for the gown. Later, the ladies spent the remainder of the night slumber party style. They ordered a variety of snacks and juices, and scanned the TV for dirty, scary movies, finally settling on "_Steel Magnolias_" and crying through certain scenes.

Meanwhile… John nervously paced back and forth in the room, drinking tiny complimentary bottles of various liquor brands. Around two in the morning he'd passed out across the bed, with tiny empty liquor bottles scattered on the floor. He didn't hear the hotel door open, and certainly didn't see Finch standing in the center of the room staring down at him.

_"Mr. Reese!" _he shouted, standing a few feet away from the bed.

John jumped up in combat mode, anticipating having to fight an intruder.

_"Mr. Reese!"_ Finch shouted, covering his face with his arm. _"It's me!"_

_"g'dammit Harold! I could have hurt you!"_ he shouted, sitting on the edge of the bed, running his hands through his hair.

Finch glanced around the room shaking his head at the mess he'd made. _"From what I can see, you're not able to hurt anyone, well... with the exception of yourself maybe." _

_"What are you doing here?"_ John asked glancing up at him through squinted eyes and trying to focus.

_"I thought that maybe you could use my help." _Finch began picking up the empty bottles from the floor._ "Looking around this garbage disposal, I think that I'm right on time." _

After he cleaned up some of the mess, Finch sat at the table in front of the window. He'd brought an overnight bag and extra accessories that John might need. On his way up to the room, he stopped at the front desk and requested an extra cot and clean sheets be brought up to the room.

While the two men sat talking about the wedding, hotel staff knocked on the door. _"Room Service!"_ the maid shouted before entering, with a bellhop in tow pushing a cot into the room. The two staff personnel busied themselves setting up the cot and changing the bed linen from the bed.

_"You sure you're going to be comfortable sleeping on that small cot Harold?"_ John asked, looking over at it.

_"No. That's why you're going to sleep on it."_

He smiled at a blank-faced John, grabbed his bag and went into the bathroom. After taking a shower and slipping into his pajamas, Finch climbed in the bed and pulled the covers up to his chest.

_"I don't know about you, but I'm going to try to get some sleep before tomorrow. We have a big day ahead of us"_ he said as he reached up and turned off the light. _"I suggest you do the same Mr. Reese."_

Still staring blank-faced at the small cot, John went into the bathroom, grabbed a quick shower and changed. He tried to position himself comfortably on the cot, but his long legs and healthy stature just didn't fit. Finally, after rolling off the cot twice, he couldn't take it any longer and crashed on the couch. His falls wasn't wasted on Finch. John could hear him snickering in the dark as he rolled over comfortably in the huge king size bed.

_"To hell with this"_, John said as he jumped up from the couch, walked over to the bed, threw the covers back and plopped down.

_"Mr. Reese…? What are you doing?"_ Finch asked, tugging at the cover to keep him from hogging it all.

_"I'm doing what I should have did an hour ago… going to bed!_ _…an actual bed!"_ John said, snatching more of the cover and rolling over onto his side.

Finch stared up at the ceiling, and with what little cover he had left, pulled it up over his head.

Early morning sunlight was beaming through the shallow curtains of the room._ In five hours, she would become Mrs. Jocelyn Reese_. Joss was sitting up on the side of the bed thinking to herself. It was January six, eight o'clock in the morning. She stared down at the rings on her finger, wishing that her mother, Carolyn, and Taylor could be there.

Although she'd rather have her family there with her, Joss smiled as she thought about what Zoe said when she let the cat out of the bag. Finch was planning to host another ceremony in New York later in the year, so that she could invite her family and friends.

She looked over her shoulder at Zoe, who was still sound asleep. She could see why Shaw was in love with her. Zoe was a gorgeous, sexy woman. Joss thought about it for a moment, _"If she wasn't pregnant and marrying John, she'd give Shaw a run for her money and go after Zoe her damn self."_

She got up from the bed, stretched her arms up over her head, and went into the bathroom to freshen up before ordering room service for the two of them. Joss was hungry as hell, and from the slight movement in her stomach, the twins were too. After she'd brushed her teeth and hair, securing it into a ponytail with a hair tie, Joss cupped her hands under the warm water and splashed it on her face. By the time she walked out of the bathroom, Zoe was sitting up in bed.

_"Are we awake now?"_ Joss asked.

_"__**We**__… are trying to be. What time is it?"_ Zoe asked through squinted eyes.

"_When I got up, it was a little after eight. Now… it's almost nine-thirty. I'm about to call in room service and get us some breakfast up here, or would you rather go downstairs and eat?"_

Zoe eased out of bed and began to do her morning exercise ritual, consisting of a few jumping jacks, body twists, toe touches and running in place.

_"one…two…three…four… Room…service…sounds great! one…two…three…four…five. I'll have a glass of…freshly squeezed orange juice… one…two…three… a plain wheat bagel…and a bowl of fresh strawberries… one…two…three… sliced." _

Zoe managed to convey what she wanted while running in place for ten minutes. Joss looked at her in amazement.

_"Now I see how you stay so thin."_ She patted her belly and glanced up at Zoe. _"When these little angels are released into the world… look out! I promise you now… we're going to the gym!"_

Zoe walked over, leaned forward and touched her belly. _"Tell mommy that auntie Zoe will definitely hold her to that promise."_ She patted Joss on her butt and went into the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed.

Meanwhile… John and Finch opted to go downstairs and eat breakfast in the dining area. While sipping on his coffee and taking a bite out of his bagel, he sent Joss a message.

**_"I love you"_**

**_"I love you more" _**she responded within seconds.

John smiled and polished off the remains of the bagel and coffee.

As the clock ticked down to the final two hours before the wedding, hair and makeup staff were sent up to the room to assist Joss and Zoe. Compliments of the hotel. Zoe was already dressed in a beautiful cream colored, knee-length dress. It fitted her thin body like a glove. She accessorized it perfectly with a single strand of white pearls and pearl drop earrings. She was as beautiful as the bride. Well... almost.

Joss stood in front of the floor to ceiling length bathroom mirror. It felt like a dream. _She was actually about to get married… to John Reese… the John… Reese. Tall, tan and handsome… John Reese"_, she thought to herself, looking nervous and feeling it even more so. She stared at herself in the beautiful wedding dress they'd chosen. Her hair was swept up into the smooth, sleek chignon style bob she'd worn that night when her and John went out to dinner.

Zoe's warm smile reassured her that everything was as it should be. She walked up behind Joss and fastened a single strand of pearls around her neck, matching the pearl earrings she was wearing. Zoe pecked her on the cheek and told her how beautiful she looked. She gave Joss a cute blue handkerchief that her sister gave to her, and told her to pass it on to a good friend one day. In a sense... it took care of the borrowed, the blue, and the old. And thanks to John, he had taken care of the new, by giving her two babies. After everything was perfectly in place, the ladies left the room.

As they walked through the hotel, people stood in front of their tables clapping and cheering, men whistled, and waiters bumped into each other. Enjoying every minute of the attention being showered upon them, the ladies giggled and hurried out of the hotel.

They arrived at the Chapel fifteen minutes early, and slipped into the dressing room to wait for the moment to walk down the aisle. Zoe excused herself from the room for a few minutes and met Finch at the back door of the Chapel, to give him the wedding bands. John chose again to have the bands designed exactly like the band his grandmother gave him.

All of the Chapel attendants took their proper places, while John and Finch stood next to each other at the altar. Both men were handsomely dressed in black tuxedo-styled suits without the tails. The nervous look on John's face and in his eyes was worth a thousand snapshots.

The music began to play, _"Ok... this is it"_, Finch whispered to John as Zoe walked out first. She was holding a beautiful bouquet of cream-colored roses, marching down the aisle in step to the music. The two men smiled, admiring her beauty. After Zoe had taken her rightful place, there was a brief pause.

The Wedding March music began to play, and two young male Chapel attendants stood at the entrance. Everyone held their breath and waited, all eyes were staring at the doorway. Joss walked around the corner holding a huge bouquet of white and cream-colored roses, encased in a lace and pearl beaded wrap, adorned with white baby-breath. John, Finch and the Chapel staff all looked in awe of how beautiful she looked. Their mouths flew wide open. Zoe smiled and winked at Finch as tears formed in John's eyes.

Joss walked slowly down the aisle in step with the music, as attendants showered the floor with red rose petals. She walked up to the altar and stood next to John. He wanted to kiss her, but Finch held him back, pressing his hand against John's.

_**...The Wedding Vows... **_

The Reverend took his place in front of the two of them and began to officiate.

_**"Friends… we have united here today, to share this beautiful, significant moment with John Reese and Jocelyn Carter. Their time together have seen their friendship, understanding and love for each other, grow and blossom into an unbreakable bond, and now they have decided to unite as one, and live out the rest of their lives together. I ask you today… Who in this Chapel supports this couple in marriage?"**_

Zoe and Finch stepped forward and both said at the same time… _"We do."_

_**"Do you, John Reese, take thee, Jocelyn Carter, to be your lawful wedded wife, to love, to honor, and to cherish?"**_

John gazed lovingly into her eyes, smiled and said, _"I do."_

**_"Do you, Jocelyn Carter, take thee, John Reese, to be your lawful wedded husband, to love, to honor, and to cherish?"_**

She looked at John through teary eyes, smiled and said, _"I do."_

The Reverend picked up her ring, kissed it and held it up to John.

_**"John Reese, put this ring on the finger of your bride, and say your vow to her now, in the name of God."**_

The Reverend placed the ring in John's hand. He slipped it onto her finger, raised her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

_"Jocelyn Carter, I give you this ring as a symbol of my wedding vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have. This final ring symbolizes the bond of love and trust that binds us together. I honor you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death we shall part. This is my solemn vow to you."_

The Reverend picked up his ring, kissed it and held it up to Joss.

_**"Jocelyn Carter, put this ring on the finger of your groom, and say your vow to him now, in the name of God."**_

The Reverend placed the ring in Joss hand. She slipped it onto his finger, raised his hand up to her lips and kissed it.

_"John Reese, I give you this ring as a symbol of my wedding vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to be my husband. I promise before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful wife, trusting no other before thee, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live, until death we shall part. This is my solemn vow to you."_

The two of them turned to face the Reverend. He placed his hand on theirs.

_**"By the power vested in me… I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."**_

John and Joss kissed for almost fifteen seconds. Then the Reverend took both by the hand and walked them forward.

_**"Ladies and Gentlemen… I present to you… Mr. & Mrs. John Reese!"**_

After the ceremony, Finch hugged Joss and kissed her on both cheeks. He turned and looked at John, feeling proud and happy that he found the normalcy of love he desired. Finch shook John's hand, both wearing broad grins, as they hugged and patted each other on the back.

Meanwhile, Zoe was hugging Joss and gently wiping the tears from her eyes. She looked at John as a true friend, but also as someone she could have possibly married herself. She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. _"You be good to her. She's one of a kind."_ Zoe said, winking at him.

As the four of them walked down the aisle toward the door, Chapel attendants threw rice over their heads, and showered the floor with red rose petals. Once outside, John kissed her again and again.

_"Well Harold… I don't think they want us to tag along anymore. Why don't I buy you a drink?"_

_"Sounds good to me Ms. Morgan. A drink would be nice."_

Zoe and Finch got into her car and drove away, leaving John and Joss standing on the steps of the Chapel kissing. Later that night, the happy couple consummated their marriage, over and over again. Lovemaking took on an entirely new form of passion for them, one that said, _you're legally mine now_. Lying in bed cuddling and kissing, the two of them gazed into each other's eyes, smiling and kissing.

_"Mrs. Jocelyn Reese"_, he whispered softly, holding her warm naked body in his arms, his lips pressed against hers.

_"Mmmmm… I like the sound of that"_, she responded, kissing him passionately.

He rolled her over onto her stomach, pulled her up to his waist and positioned himself behind her. She knew what was coming and couldn't stop the flow of juices. She let out a whimpering moan as his hard cock played with her clit, rubbing against it with the tip of his head. She fought back the swell of the orgasm surfacing. The more he tantalized and teased her clit, the more her juices flowed. The moment was right. She was ready to take him, all of him. John slid his hard cock slowly in and out, moaning from the sound of her wet juices saturating his rod. He wanted her to feel every inch as he fought back the urge to pump himself inside her. His strokes were slow and long, as the secretion of her juices saturated her walls and around her lips.

She pressed her hands against the headboard of the bed, gripping the top and holding on, anticipating what was coming. He thrust himself deep, churning and hissing, moaning and grinding inside of her as he leaned his body forward and melded into hers, humping her with rapid speed, her breasts moving back and forth, bouncing in unison with each jerk of his hips as he humped and humped, moaning, hissing, running his hand up and down her back, grabbing her breasts and whispering her name.

She screamed, her juices exploding against his, her body trembling, her mind void of all thoughts. She reared her body back against his as he gripped her tighter, humping her, nibbling her ear, like a dog in heat, he humped ferociously and fast, as she screamed out his name, unable to free herself from his grip. _"Ahhhhh! ah, ah, ah, ah, Mmmmm... ohhh John! Ah, ah, ah, oh, oh ahhhh!"_ she moaned and screamed, but the passion in him was unstoppable, uncontrollable as he continued with rapid speed, their bodies slapping against each other as he pushed her body forward, her ass bouncing in his hands. He humped and humped, faster and faster, erotically hissing and moaning, knowing that the moment was upon him to release his hot semen inside of her. He reared his body and head back and let out a deep, blood curdling scream, _"Ahhhhhhh! g'dammit! Ahhhhhhhh! ahhh, ahhh, shit! Ahhhh!"_ he yelled, his body shaking as sweat poured down his face and chest.

Her body fell to the bed, panting and gasping for air. He joined her, lying on his back, breathing heavy and hard, trying to speak but his words were stifled by his need to breathe, as air seeped into his lungs.

_"John…"_ she said trying to catch her breath. _"Wow!"_ She reached over and rubbed his wet, tight chest, moving rapidly up and down beneath her hand.

_"I'm possessed!"_ he responded, breathing heavy. _"You've got me under a spell",_ he said, kissing her hand.

Once the two of them were able to breathe normal again, they took a shower together and curled up on the couch, touching and kissing. Tonight there would be no watching TV. They listened to soft music, cuddled, and made love all night long.

The next day, the two of them thought that it might be a good idea to call her mother, Carolyn and Taylor. They knew that telling them they'd gotten married, was not going to be pretty. Joss stood in front of the big picture window of the room, and stared out at the beautiful, serene lake and snow covered mountains. She glanced over at John, her eyes almost pleading for him to make the call.

_"Babe… it's better to do it now. Get it over with. It'll only sting for a second."_ John said, smiling and grabbing her around the waist as he stood behind her.

Joss made the call and waited for her mother to answer.

_"Hello dear!"_ her mother said with excitement. _"How are you? I haven't heard from you since Christmas. How's John?"_ she asked.

This was one time Joss wasn't in a hurry to try to get a word in. She'd rather her mother talk through the entire conversation. John whispered in her ear, _"Get it over with babe…"_ he said, gently kissing her on the neck as she reared her head back onto his shoulder.

_"Mom… mom, listen… I have something… I mean, John and I have something to tell you. Mom… are you sitting down?"_ she asked, her eyes batting in anticipation of a scream from her mother.

_"Don't tell me… the two of you did it didn't you? You got married!"_ her mother shouted with glee. This was definitely not the response they expected to hear from her.

_"Mom…? You mean… you're not upset?"_

_"Baby, I've waited for this for a long time. This is your life, your time to be happy, and I am so happy for you and John. Where's my handsome son-'n-law?"_ she asked.

_"Right here mom!"_ John shouted into the phone. Joss turned and kissed him as he continuted to talk to her mother._ "I... love your... daughter so much... and I love you too"_, he said, receiving sweet pecks from Joss.

_"Oh baby, I love you too. I feel like God has now blessed me with the son I've always wanted. You take care of my little girl for me. Congratulations dear."_

_"Mom…"_ Joss said. She could hear her mother weeping softly. _"Mom, please don't cry. We're going to have another ceremony when we get back to New York. I promise."_

_"Ohhh baby, those aren't angry tears. I'm crying because I'm so happy for the two of you."_

Joss smiled. _"Thank you mom. We love you."_

After the call. The two of them hugged. John gently wiped the tears from her face and planted sweet pecks on her nose, cheeks, forehead and lips.

_"Ok… one down… two more to go." _

She called Carolyn and Taylor, both reacted differently. Carolyn opted to take her on a trip down memory lane, from their childhood elementary days together, up to their college years, setting each other up with blind dates. Joss went from sitting on the side of the bed, to sitting on the couch, as John paced back and forth, pointing at the watch on his arm, whispering that they were going to be late for their dinner reservation if she didn't hurry. Taylor's response was short, sweet and congratulatory.

Mr. & Mrs. Reese spent the next two days in Nevada with the **_'Do Not Disturb'_** sign on the door, coming out of the room only for lunch and dinner.

On the ninth of January, they finally arrived back at the bunker. The two of them were inseparable. Being married took on another new meaning for John. He was definitely more protective of his new bride and mother of his unborn children. Signs that the honeymoon was over quickly sank in as they listened to the messages left on the answering machine.

The first message was from Dr. Tanaka. He wanted to know why she'd missed her appointment. He concluded with acknowledging that he had the results from the DNA Lab test, and would like to see both of them in his office as soon as possible. They looked at each other for a few seconds. John placed his arms around her and looked into her eyes.

_"I don't give a damn about the test sweetheart. I know that I'm the father, and nothing or no one will ever change that. I love you and the babies so much. We don't need a blood test to confirm what I feel and know in my heart to be true." _He kissed her and held her tight.

When the second message played, Joss raised her head from his chest, and stared at the phone. It was Internal Affairs informing her that a trial date for HR had been scheduled for February fourth. She was informed to contact the Agency as soon as possible to discuss the details.

The last message was somewhat surprising, but as equally anticipated. Fusco left a message stating that the arraignment of Carl Elias had been scheduled for the sixteenth of January. He asked her to call him as soon as possible. They looked at each other and laughed.

_"Well Mrs. Reese…"_

_"Yes… Mr. Reese"_

_"I guess the honeymoon is over"_, he said as he leaned down and kissed her.

Back to work was an understatement for the two of them. Finch already had John and Shaw tracking their next number, which involved a cyberspace sexual predator. She posed as a high school teenage girl who frequented chat rooms seeking friendship and sex only with no attachments.

It was no secret that the biggest online sexual predators, were mostly married men looking for a little fun on the side, not willing to commit and give up their home life with their wives and family. If threatened, they would be willing to kill to keep their sick, twisted online fantasies hidden. This definitely fit the MO of the sexual predator they were tracking.

On Friday, January eleventh, Joss and John met up at the doctor's building. When they entered his office, Dr. Tanaka was sitting behind his desk, updating the chart of another patient. He stood quickly and welcomed the two of them into his office. Once seated, he slid two gold envelopes over to each of them. She looked over at John, both not wanting to pick up the envelopes, both curiously wanting to know what the results were.

_"This __**is **__what the two of you wanted isn't it?"_ Dr. Tanaka asked as he reared back in his chair, gnawing on the end of his glasses.

John turned to Joss and squeezed her hands. _"It doesn't matter babe. I told you how I feel. Now that we're married…"_

_"Ohhh… Wow! Congratulations!"_ Dr. Tanaka said interrupting John.

He walked over to both of them and shook their hands. _"I think the two of you should open the envelopes", _he said as he walked around his desk and sat back down.

Joss eased her envelope from the desk and ran her hand over it, while John took a less cautious and more confident approach. This was the last time he would let Elias invade their lives. He snatched the envelope from the desk, ripped it open and examined the results. The look in his eyes didn't give away much, one way or the other. His blank stare was somewhat disconcerting.

She started praying from the moment she ripped into the envelope and removed the paper. Joss stared at the results, wanting to scream, jump up and hug both John and Dr. Tanaka, but that would mean that she had doubts about who the father really was, and she couldn't do that to John. She turned to him with tears of joy in her eyes.

_"I didn't doubt it for one minute"_, she said calmly. They stood and hugged each other and shook the doctor's hand.

Dr. Tanaka congratulated them and reminded her that he would need to see her Friday, January eighteenth. He expressed to them that there was a good chance of being able to determine the sex of the babies. Before he could ask, John assured him that he'd be there.

After they left his office, John returned to the Library to meet up with Shaw and Finch to smooth out the details of how they would work with NYPD officers to nab the cyberspace predator. Joss was anxious to find out more about the arraignment of Elias. She stopped in at a diner about an hour from the bunker, to grab a quick meal for lunch. While waiting, she called Fusco to ask if he could meet her back at the bunker. He agreed and told her that he'd be there by four o'clock.

On the drive back home, John called every ten to fifteen minutes to check on her and ask if she was feeling all right, basking in delight of calling her Mrs. Reese. Joss arrived at the bunker around two. She showered and changed into comfortable loungewear, and took Bear outside for a walk. Later, a few minutes after four, Detective Fusco arrived at the bunker.

_"Well, well, well"_, he said as he entered the living room. _"You finally decided to come back to me? What was it… my good looks, charm, my handsome physique? Oh, I know, it's my boyish grin."_ he said jokingly as he sat down next to her on the couch and planted a kiss on her cheek.

_"That's what I love about you Fusco… you know how to charm the ladies."_

Fusco filled Joss in on what they could expect at the arraignment of Elias. He also took time to inform her about any new threats coming from within the HR department. Many of the cops who'd been suspended as a result of the investigation, moved to other states and towns after giving statements on what they knew and witnessed happening within the Precinct and HR departments.

Now being faced with prison time, they knew the gig was up. And the fact that they knew they would probably run into some of the same people they'd wrongfully arrested and convicted, that was a chance they did not want to take, and many were ready and willing to roll a dime on their own mothers if they had to.

Those who cooperated during the investigation, were granted leniency, by either having charges dropped against them, or being reinstated back onto the force, but in a different department and city within the state. Many opted for the two choices given, and would have to walk a tight rope to avoid immediate termination.

According to the information he'd received, there were only eleven law enforcement officials being charged and held accountable for their actions, even though twenty-five were involved in the corruption. Two of the twenty-five commited suicide, one was already in prison for attempted murder, seven were fired and had already moved on to other jobs outside the force, and four quit the force and left the country.

Out of the eleven officials being charged, two were Captains, two were Lieutenants, three were Detectives, and four were Eighth Precinct cops. Fusco also mentioned he'd heard that her name was being floated around as being promoted to Captain of the Eighth Precinct, and he was approached for the position of Lieutenant. He couldn't confirm it, but he'd heard it from a reliable source within the personnel office. After helping Joss to prepare a quick meal for the two of them, Fusco couldn't help but notice the extra ring on her finger. She was only wearing two rings that night after Thanksgiving dinner.

_"So… what's with the third ring? Married on me already?"_ he asked jokingly.

Joss shook her head in agreement, smiling and wiggling her fingers with her hand up in front of his face.

_"You got it big boy. John and I got married in Nevada on the sixth."_

Fusco was about to take a bite out of the turkey, lettuce and tomato sandwich he'd prepared. He stopped in mid air with his mouth wide open, surprised and looking a little like a jilted lover.

_"You've got to be fuckin' kidding me. You're kidding… right?"_ he asked.

But she assured him that it wasn't a joke, and to prove it, he could ask Zoe or Harold. Fusco took a bite out of the sandwich, chomping and trying to talk while chewing.

_"Why… wasn't I… invited?"_ he asked, pieces of lettuce falling from the sandwich onto the countertop, as Joss burshed it onto a napkin and threw it into the trash can. _"What? Suddenly, I'm not your pal anymore?"_

She leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek, his jaws moving up and down as he chewed ravishingly on the food in his mouth.

_"Don't feel bad Fusco… my family weren't there either. And you know darn well that we'll be friends forever, so don't go there"_, she said, smiling as she raked around in a small bowl of salad that she'd prepared for herself.

The two of them sat down at the kitchen table, eating, talking and catching up on the latest news about the trial of HR that would kick off on the fourth of February. It was a few minutes after eight when Fusco left the bunker. Feeling sluggish, tired and sleepy, Joss went upstairs to take a nap. She wasn't expecting John to get home until much later.

For the next two days, John was coming home after midnight. Him and Shaw was working overtime trying to reel in the cyberspace predator, occasionally, recruiting her help in several chat room discussions. Last night, Shaw and John worked from the computer lab of the bunker. After Joss prepared a hearty dinner and the three of them ate, she went upstairs to bed, leaving the two of them down in the lab, working on the final pieces of their plans. They finished around two in the morning. They both went upstairs and Shaw crashed in one of the spare bedrooms down the hall from their bedroom.

January fourteenth, ten o'clock Monday morning, Joss was lying on the exam table. Her and John were watching the babies on the screen. Surprisingly, Dr. Tanaka was able to tell them the genital sex of their babies. They discovered that they would become proud parents of a boy and a girl. Joss fought back tears as John rubbed her face and showered her with sweet pecks. The babies now weighed in at two pounds each, and they could see them moving each time he rubbed her belly with the ultrasound machine.

_"So", _he said as he wiped the gel from her stomach. "_Have the two of you thought about names?"_

They looked at each other and smiled. _"Not yet"_, she said. _"But we'll work on it together."_

During the drive home, they agreed to each name one of the babies. He would have the honor of naming the girl, and she could choose a name for the boy. They both agreed not to reveal the chosen names until the day of birth.

Later that evening, Shaw and John were able to lure the cyberspace predator to a makeshift home. Now working more comfortably with the police department and other government agencies, instead of trying to stay out of their sight, John and two officers were located inside the home.

Agent Shaw was dressed provocatively in the clothes the predator suggested she wear when he arrive at her home for a little fun. Wearing a low cut, black leather mini dress, fishnet stockings with black leather thigh-high boots, and holding a leather whip in her hands, she invited the predator inside under false pretense to have a wild night of sex.

She assured him that she had the place to herself for the week, and he had nothing to worry about. They could do each other twenty-four seven, until one of them dropped from exhaustion. John rolled his eyes when he heard what she said, but the two officers were smiling like two sex-starved groupies.

_"Roll your tongues back in boys, you're salivating", _John said as he waited for the signal to pounce on the sick bastard.

Once inside the home he stared at Shaw, licking his lips as he quickly stripped out of his clothes. _"Hellll yeah baby!… When I get through with you, you won't be able to walk!"_ he shouted, pulling items from the black bag he was carrying. He was a short, balding, chubby man with extremely pale white skin and a beer gut. He was vulgar as hell, and Shaw did not want the bastard anywhere near her.

The bag contained several sex toys, including various lubricants, handcuffs, a knife, duct tape and a video camera. His intentions were to sexually torture her, and possibly kill her if she didn't comply with his sick, twisted desires. They had the sick bastard right where they wanted him, naked and vulnerable. John motioned for the cops to give him a minute or two. The man had the knife in his hand and lashed out at Shaw.

_"I wanna' see some blood baby! Let's see if you're real", _he shouted, laughing and slashing at her with the knife.

Trying to remain in the role of a frightened teenager, she backed away from him, stumbled and fell backwards to the floor. The predator raised his arm with the knife in his hand, and was lowering his arm down toward her body, when his arm was stopped in mid air. John held a firm, tight grip on it, bending it until he dropped the knife. With one punch, he knocked the man to the floor. He walked over to the couch, grabbed his clothes and threw them in his face.

_"Get dressed you sick bastard!"_ John shouted and walked over to Shaw. _"You all right?"_

_"Never better", _she said and went upstairs to change back into nice, normal clothes.

The officers rushed into the living room and pointed their guns at the man, arrested him and placed him into the back seat of a police car. John and Shaw's work was done. When the Captain and officers went back inside to thank them, both were gone.

John arrived at the bunker around midnight, thinking that Joss was in bed asleep, but she wasn't. She had already ate dinner, showered and dressed for bed, but after three nights of not being able to cuddle with him in bed, she stayed up and waited for him to come home. She was sitting in the living room highlighting baby names in the book she'd purchased a few days ago. He removed his coat and sat down next to her on the couch, leaning over for a kiss.

_"Did you get the bastard?"_ she asked.

_"Sure did babe. What are you doing up? I thought you'd be asleep by now."_

_"Nope. Waiting for you."_

Joss turned around and laid her head down on his lap, with her legs raised. She placed the book of baby names against her knees, and continued to search through the names, highlighting those she liked.

_"What's this?"_ he asked, easing the book from her and thumbing through it.

_"I found it at the boutique in town the other day. It's a book of baby names. I thought it would help us out a little."_

John leaned down and kissed her. He rubbed her belly and the two of them searched through the alphabetical listing of names, both male and female. They spotted a few that they liked but weren't ready to choose. After a late dinner, they went upstairs. John took a shower, put on his pajama bottoms and eased in bed. With the arraignment of Elias scheduled for tomorrow, sex was not exactly at the top of his agenda. He didn't want her anywhere near Elias, but knew that she had to be there, no matter what.

_"I'm going with you tomorrow"_, he said, lying on his back with his hands behind his head, staring at her.

Joss was sitting at the vanity table brushing her hair. She stopped and turned around to look at him.

_"Why?"_ she asked.

_"Why not?"_ he retorted.

_"John, you can't protect me from everything and everybody. Elias can't hurt me anymore. There will be a lot of good cops in the court room"_, she said as she walked over and got in bed next to him.

Joss leaned her body against his and kissed his chest tenderly, running her fingers across the chiseled, tan muscles flexing from the touch of her wet tongue twirling around his nipples. He ran his fingers through her hair as she planted soft kisses from his waist up to his neck, stopping at his mouth and sucking his lips.

John pulled her on top of him and slid his pajamas down, pushing them off with his feet. Straddling his body, naked beneath the short black chemise, Joss eased down onto his hard cock and rode it hard, grinding down as he churned deep inside her. She reared her head back, her round soft breasts cupped in his hands. She moaned and moved up and down, her hair whipping her face as she shook her head, bringing him to the peak of ejaculation, licking her lips and kissing him passionately.

She wanted every inch of him inside her. He could see it in her eyes, feel it in the way she moved and jerked her hips with each stroke. He could feel her juices saturating his shaft, the sound of mating echoing as she slid up down on his thick rod. _"Dear God!"_ he whispered through clenched teeth. _"Dammit! You feel so damn good!"_ he shouted, biting his bottom lip, humping her fast and hard. He moaned and grunted, squeezing her ass as it moved up and down. John tried not to release the hot semen surfacing to the tip of his head. He loved it when **_she_** fucked him, and tonight she was giving him her all, hard and good.

Not ready to release inside of her, he rolled her over onto her back and positioned her legs around his waist. He leaned forward and slid his hard cock inside of her, slowly stroking in and out, as her juices saturated his shaft, stimulating her until she was ready to explode. Her moans grew louder as he stroked faster, both releasing and screaming at the same time in an explosion of passion. He fell down beside her, breathing hard and heavy.

Resting her head on his chest, she could hear his heart beating rapidly as he fought for control of air flowing through his body. She pressed her hand against his chest and tapped fast, decreasing the speed until his breathing matched the slow tapping of her hand. It was something her grandmother taught her to do when she was afraid and couldn't catch her breath.

_"Joss, I want to go with you tomorrow"_, he said again.

_"I thought we'd settled that. You said that Finch had another number lined up for you and Shaw. I'll be fine."_

John knew that she was not going to give. He wanted to go with her, but she was right, Finch already had him and Shaw assigned to a new number. She told him what Fusco said about most of HRs crooked cops, and how many of them had left and moved to other cities and towns to keep from serving time in prison. John felt a little better but was still afraid for her. They spent another hour debating the issue, and on a points scale from one to ten, she was winning by eight points.

January sixteen, Wednesday morning, nine o'clock. The courtroom was packed with spectators. Joss sat on the front row next to Detective Fusco. They could hear the people gasping and whispering when Elias was wheeled into the courtroom with handcuffs on his hand. The courtroom of spectators pointed and stared in disbelief at the feeble, puny looking man in the wheelchair. He bore a slight resemblance to the Carl Elias everyone knew, but not by much. He looked tired and deathly ill.

Joss and Fusco was as equally shocked. Due to his fading health, his lawyer approached the bench and was granted permission by the judge to read a statement on his client's behalf. Elias had chosen to plead guilty to all charges to avoid a lengthy trial, and he gave up all rights to appeal his sentence, knowing that he'd probably die in prison.

While the lawyer read his statement, Elias turned his head slowly to the side and their eyes locked in cold, chilling glares. He raised his hand up slightly, and began to utter a few words that were inaudible, as he pointed toward Joss. She slowly got up from the bench and walked over to where he was sitting.

_"I told you that I would be on the front row!"_ she shouted as the judge pounded the gavel against the wooden platform.

The courtroom, packed with people, began to roar with chatter and whispers. Joss yelled out again, _"You bastard! I hope you rot in prison!"_ she shouted, the judge banging the gavel louder.

_"Detective! take your seat!"_ he shouted as he continued to pound the gavel.

Fusco rushed over and escorted her back to the bench. She did not blink as she angrily glared directly at Elias. He tried to smile as he uttered a few more inaudible words.

_"My…bab…ies…ba…bi…"_ he mumbled before lowering his head and coughing.

She stood again and was about to say something to him, but Fusco grabbed her hand and pulled her back down onto the bench.

_"Joss, don't… don't let the bastard do this to you. He want to see you fall apart. Don't give the son-of-a-bitch the satisfaction",_ he said as he tightened the grip on her hand.

After the arraignment, Elias was wheeled out of the courtroom, still staring at Joss and cracking a half-hearted smile. The judge set a court date for the charges to be read aloud and executed on Tuesday, February twenty-six. With all of the charges pending against him, and the fact that he was a flight risk, Elias was denied bail, and returned to the confinement of the medical unit behind prison walls.

When Joss and Fusco stepped outside the courtroom, John was waiting out in the hallway. He'd already scanned the outside for marked cars. There was one suspicious looking vehicle with two men inside. He grabbed her hand and led her down two flights of stairs to the basement of the courtroom, and out a back door into an alley. He scanned the area making sure no one had followed them.

_"John…! What's going on?"_ she asked as he gripped her hand tighter.

_"There was a marked car across from the courthouse Joss._ _They've already spotted you. Harold has your car. I dropped him off while you and Lionel were inside. He's waiting for us." _

John led her to the end of the alley and walked around the corner where Harold was parked and waiting with the engine running. She got into the front seat of the car, and they sped off toward the Library.

He made sure that she was safely out of harm's way, before returning to his Hummer and driving to the Library. When he arrived, John walked into the Library a little pissed, with a need to be over protective. Joss was sitting in a chair across from Finch. From the look in his eyes, both of them knew that they were in for a lecture.

_"This isn't going to work Joss! I can't let you do this. From now on, I'm coming with you whether you want me to or not!"_ he shouted walking up to her.

Finch looked over at her and knew that even if she tried to convince him with any kind of viable argument, she'd lose.

_"John, think about what you're saying. It doesn't make any sense. She was summoned by the court to be there. I understand that you're worried about Joss and the babies safety, but she had to be there"_, Finch said, trying to talk some sense into him and calm him down.

_"So, you expect me to look the other way while my wife and babies lives are placed in danger?! Hell no Finch!"_ John shouted.

Joss sat quietly in the chair with her hand up to her forehead. She knew that even if she tried, she would not be able to get a word in over the disagreement they were having. So she opted to remain quiet, lowered her head, clasped her hands together and raised them up to her lips.

_"February fourth is when the real threat of danger will occur. Joss will have to face her fellow officers in court. However, John… Internal Affairs has assured both Joss and I that she will be under heavy security. You've got to calm down."_

_"Do you hear yourself right now Harold? I will not calm down dammit! She is my wife, and I vowed to protect her at all cost!"_

The two men went into their neutral corners and were quiet for a minute. Joss raised her head up and grabbed the moment to say what she had to say. She walked over to where John was standing near the wall with his head buried in his hands. She slowly moved his hands from his face, and cupped his chin in her hand, staring up into his eyes.

_"John… Harold is right. I'll be fine. Look… I know you're worried but, I had to be there today. John… look at me... he's right, you've got to calm down." _

It took a few minutes, but John calmed down enough to try to understand and see things their way. They hugged for a few seconds. Joss walked over to Harold and kissed him on the cheek. _"Thank you"_, she whispered as he winked at her and smiled, squeezing her hand. She walked out of the Library with John right behind her.

_"You go straight home alright. I'll be there later", _he said, leaning down into the car and planting a kiss firmly on her lips. He pressed two fingers up to his lips and placed them on her belly, then winked at her.

Joss arrived back at the bunker tired and sleepy. She took a nap, sleeping for almost three hours. She woke up around eight-thirty and took a nice long shower. Later, she prepared a nice dinner for two, trying to keep it warm until John got there. After receiving a call from him, saying that he wouldn't be home until one or two in the early morning hour, she ate and then placed his dinner into the refrigerator before going upstairs to bed.

When John wasn't around, she'd let Bear sleep at the foot of the bed, and tonight, he'd get to do just that. She walked down to the library and patted her legs. _"Come on boy"_, she said. Bear ran up to her wagging his tail and licking her hands. The two of them went upstairs and he jumped on the bed and curled up in his favorite spot.

**Chapter 10: The Replacements**

**Episode 1: Promotions**

Joss and Fusco both receive promotions for their hard work and dedication to the police force. She is promoted to the position of Captain, while Fusco is moved up to Lieutenant. The Acting Captain, who was sharing his time between two Precincts, couldn't be happier. Now with a trial date set, HR is in the process of replacing corrupt Captains, officers and detectives with new faces. When Joss shares the good news with John, he is not too pleased. He thinks that she should consider taking medical leave until after the babies are born, but that's not exactly what she wants to do. She try hard to convince him that as Captain, she would be working less in the field, but John is still not pleased with the idea. Somehow, I feel that they'll find a way to work through this too.


End file.
